BDO hosts Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram for skills and social mobility talks

Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO welcomed Liverpool City Region's Mayor Steve Rotheram to its Liverpool shared service centre last week to discuss career pathways and creating a dynamic workforce equipped with the right skills for the future.

As one of the city's biggest private sector employers with more than 500 people in Liverpool, the conversation focused on BDO's commitment to providing routes into meaningful, skilled careers and driving greater social mobility in the region.

During the visit, the Mayor spoke to several BDO colleagues who followed different pathways into their current roles, joining as school leavers, apprentices and graduates. He heard first-hand accounts of their experiences beginning their careers at BDO, as well as recommendations on what can be done to better support young talent.

The need for businesses to build strong connections with education providers to inspire and support young people to begin and progress their careers was a central focus of discussion, as well as skills of the future including AI and a digital mindset.

Nigel Britton, Head of Shared Services at BDO said:

"We were delighted to welcome the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram to our Liverpool office. He has been a trailblazer in driving skills and social mobility in the region, and we’re keen to work with him on his ambitious plans for Liverpool.

"From creating alternative routes into work, opening doors through apprenticeships and connecting local businesses with regional government, we’re putting practical action to support skills at the top of our agenda and welcome the Mayor's efforts to upskill the local labour market."

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, added:

"Too often in the past, young people have felt they had to leave our region to build their futures. As Mayor, I’m determined to make sure they no longer need to look elsewhere for opportunity – because the best opportunities are right here at home.

"Through initiatives like my Young Person's Guarantee, BeMore, and our mission to squeeze every penny out of the Apprenticeship Levy, we’re connecting tens of thousands of young people with the good jobs and training that set them up for life. With local businesses backing our ambitions, we can go even further.

"My goal is simple: to make our area the best place to grow up, grow a family, and grow a business. Those three principles guide every decision I make on behalf of our 1.6 million residents – and together we're building a stronger, fairer and more prosperous Liverpool City Region for everyone."

The Mayor spoke through the region's ambitious growth plans, including his aim to make the Liverpool City Region a national leader in future-focused skills. This is backed by historically high annual investment including £52m directly to further education colleges, £12.3m for Skills Bootcamps, and a £7m apprenticeship levy transfer scheme enabling large employers to support SMEs.

 

ENDS

 

Note to editors

BDO LLP operates in 18 offices across the UK, employing 8,000 people. It has UK revenues of £1bn.

It provides Audit, Tax, Deals, and Consulting, Risk & Outsourcing services predominantly to mid-sized, entrepreneurially-spirited, high-growth businesses that are driving growth in the UK economy. BDO calls this segment of the market the UK’s economic engine.

BDO LLP is the UK member firm of the BDO international network.

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The BDO global network provides business advisory services in 166 countries and territories, with more than 119,000 people working out of 1,800 offices worldwide. It has revenues of US$15bn.

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