Leading accountancy and business advisory firm Johnston Carmichael's partnership with the ICAS Foundation is helping talented young people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds into the profession, with four Foundation students set to return to the firm as graduate trainees.
The quartet – three former summer interns and one RGU placement student – represents the largest number of students recruited by any ICAS Foundation employer partner from this year's graduate cohort, demonstrating how long-term investment in social mobility is translating into career opportunities at Johnston Carmichael. They are four of 80 students to join the firm this year, 46 of whom were inducted last month.
Islay Sutherland joins the Aberdeen office, following a successful placement year with the firm as part of her Accounting and Finance course at Robert Gordon University. Dean Bastien, Katie Farley, and Emma Savage also secured return offers following successful summer internships last summer, and they will each join the Glasgow office this August. All four will also undertake Chartered Account (CA) training with ICAS.
Launched in 2012, the ICAS Foundation was established to support talented young people from under-represented backgrounds to study accountancy and finance degrees, helping to create a more diverse and inclusive pathway into the profession. Through financial assistance, mentoring, and access to employer partners across the profession, the Foundation supports students throughout their academic journey and up to the point they start their professional training contracts.
Since becoming one of the ICAS Foundation's first national employer partners in 2023, Johnston Carmichael has invested £5,000 annually to fund the equivalent of two bursary places. Alongside its financial support, the firm provides Foundation students with mentoring, and insight events that, help them build the skills, confidence and connections needed to succeed in the profession.
L-R: Islay Sutherland, Emma Savage, Lynne Walker (Chief Executive of Johnston Carmichael), Katie Farley and Dean Bastien.
Three Johnston Carmichael colleagues currently volunteer as ICAS Foundation mentors: financial reporting advisory services director, Jordan Haldane, financial reporting advisory senior manager, Darren Robertson-Smith, and audit partner, Sally Hewish. Together, they support students to build confidence, expand their professional networks and prepare for careers in accountancy.
Laura Carter, Head of Early Careers at Johnston Carmichael, said: “Seeing four ICAS Foundation students return to Johnston Carmichael as graduate trainees is fantastic and demonstrates exactly why we invested in this partnership.
“Creating opportunities for talented people, regardless of their background, is incredibly important to us. Through bursaries, mentoring and meaningful work experience, we're helping to remove barriers while also strengthening our future talent pipeline.
“These students have already made a real impression during their placements with us, and we look forward to welcoming them back to begin the next stage of their careers.”
The graduates joining Johnston Carmichael first experienced the firm through internships and placement opportunities, allowing both the students and the firm to build relationships before returning as permanent trainees.
Their appointments demonstrate how the partnership has evolved from providing financial support into creating a successful recruitment pipeline.
Dean Bastien, from Glasgow, recently achieved a First-Class Honours degree in Accounting and Finance. He said: “My internship with Johnston Carmichael provided me with first-hand experience in audit, exposure to a wide range of clients and industries, and confirmed that it was the career path I wanted to pursue.
“Being trusted with meaningful work made the transition from university to professional life both rewarding and enjoyable. I’m delighted to be returning to Johnston Carmichael as an Audit Graduate and look forward to continuing to learn and develop my career with the firm.”
Sanjay Singh, Managing Director at the ICAS Foundation, said: "This is exactly what the ICAS Foundation was created to achieve. By combining financial support with mentoring and internship and placement opportunities, we're helping talented students overcome barriers and build successful careers in accountancy.
“Johnston Carmichael has fully embraced our partnership and seeing four students return as graduate trainees is a fantastic example of what's possible when employers make a long-term commitment to social mobility. We hope this success encourages more firms to get involved.”
The ICAS Foundation is currently recruiting additional mentors from partner firms ahead of its welcoming around fifty new programme students in September, as it continues to expand support for talented young people pursuing careers in accountancy and finance.