Finishing school is an exciting milestone in anyone’s life. But deciding what’s next can be nerve-wracking. While many school leavers decide to continue into further education (university, vocational training, etc.), others choose to gain hands-on work experience by entering full-time employment. It’s a tough decision, but ultimately it’s one you have to make on your own. To help you decide, we’ve rounded up 5 of the best employers for school leavers.
From giants in the food and beverage industry to investment banking, these 5 companies provide high-quality career paths for school leavers.
Let’s dive in.
5 Best Employers For School Leavers
If you’re a school leaver trying to decide your next steps, doing your homework is critical. Your first employer will play a huge role in shaping you both personally and professionally, so making an informed decision is key. To help you, we’ve done some of the legwork for you and put together 5 of the best employers for school leavers.
We based our decision on the results of the 2020 School Leaver Awards.
The awards ranked the UK’s Top 150 Employers, based entirely on the feedback from apprentices and school leavers undertaking programmes in these organisations. As part of the survey, apprentices were asked about the following aspects of the company:
- Training and development opportunities
- Career progression
- Company culture
The top 5 employers on our list scored the highest overall in these three categories, making them the best companies to start your career as a school leaver. Here’s a closer look.
1. Nestlé
Nestlé landed the top spot on the list, earning a number of awards. These included:
- Best Job Satisfaction
- Best Company Culture
- Top Employer – Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Industry
- Best Degree Apprenticeship
- Top Employer – Mid-sized School Leaver Intake
- Top Employer For School Leavers
Nestlé has long received praise for its healthy work culture, offering healthy salary structures, supportive leadership, and plenty of career opportunities. With plenty of chances to travel and network, it’s a great company to start your career in FMCG.
What’s more, the company has taken great strides to create a diverse and inclusive work environment.
2. Avanade
Second on the list is the global professional services company Avanade. Avanade provides IT consulting services that focus on Microsoft products. These include AI, business analytics, application services, security services, and digital transformation.
The IT company won the following awards:
- Best Training
- Best Level of Support
- Best for Career Progression
- Top Employer IT & Technology
- Best Advanced Apprenticeship
- Best Employer – Small School Leaver Intake
So what makes it such a great place for school leavers?
Firstly, a whopping 94% of Avanade employees say it’s a great place to work, citing strong management, development opportunities, and healthy work-life balance as the top reasons. Plus, Avanade offers comprehensive and enriching apprenticeships for school leavers looking to earn their stripes in the IT sector.
3. McDonald’s
McDonald’s has done a lot in recent years to earn a reputation as a top employer for school leavers. It won three awards in the following categories:
- Best for Level of Responsibility
- Top Employer – Hospitality & Tourism
- Top Employer – Large School Leaver Intake
- Best School Leaver Programme
The fast food giant offers comprehensive apprenticeship programmes and early careers opportunities that allow you to earn while you learn. In fact, school leavers can undertake a degree apprenticeship and earn a BA (Hons) in Business Management Professional (Retail).
As well as offering the best school leaver programme, McDonald’s was praised for being a fair and inclusive employer with a great company culture.
4. Softcat
Softcat is an IT and infrastructure provider with locations across the UK. It’s also one of the best employers for school leavers, ranking second in the IT and Technology category.
The British infrastructure provider also scored fourth place in the Advanced Apprenticeships category, earning praise for its comprehensive programme.
Softcat’s award-winning apprenticeship programme gives school leavers the opportunity to dive straight into the working world. During the apprenticeship, school leavers work closely with a manager to develop key leadership and employability skills, such as sales. It’s an intense and enriching programme that prepares apprentices for successful careers.
5. Dentons
Dentons is the largest multinational law firm in the world and an excellent place to start a career in the field of law.
As well as scooping the award as the top employer in the legal sector, it also scored third place for its degree apprenticeships.
Denton’s degree apprenticeships give school leavers the opportunity to forge a career in law without the student debt. You can apply for a spot on the Solicitor Apprenticeship scheme, finally working your way towards an LLS university degree.
During the six-year programme, school leavers work four days a week in the Denton office and spend 6 months working in 8 different departments. That way, apprentices gain a wide range of skills and a clear idea of what specialisation to pursue after the apprenticeship. At the end of the programme, apprentices are encouraged to apply for associate positions with Dentons and continue their career journey as qualified solicitors.
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Finding The Best Employers For School Leavers
We hope our guide to the top companies that hire school leavers gives you some food for thought. While university is a great opportunity, it’s not the best fit for everyone. As a result, many school leavers opt to kickstart their careers right away with an apprenticeship, internship, work placement or entry-level role.
These 5 employers of school leavers offer you a chance to get your foot in the door at a large company and work your way up. From training and development opportunities to one-on-one mentoring, these companies have been voted the top places for school leavers to gain work experience and embark on a career path.
Check out our Student Jobs Board for the latest opportunities near you.
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