Horizons Scheme

This scheme really does give you the best of both worlds: you’ll spend eight months gaining real-life experience with us, you’ll be paid a £20,000 pro rata salary, and you’ll have the time – and money – to travel before you start university.



The scheme operates from September to May. It begins with an induction in London, during which you’ll find out about our business and how our systems function. This is followed by a stint at a London training centre where you’ll sharpen your IT knowledge. You’ll be learning through participation rather than lectures, so it won’t be like going back to school. And we’ll organise some social and group-based activities to help you to get to know the other people taking part.

After this, it’s straight to the front line as a team member in one of our industry areas. You’ll learn a lot - and fast. But don’t worry - we’ll allocate you a ‘buddy’ so that help is always at hand. They’ll answer your questions and provide well-informed advice. You’ll also be given two formal evaluations during the course of the scheme, so that you can find out how well you’re doing, and about areas you need to work on.



The benefits are excellent. Not only do you get a competitive salary, but you get a choice: a travel bursary of £1,500, or the same level of sponsorship to cover your first year at University. If you perform brilliantly, we’ll invite you to come back and work with us again in your penultimate year during the summer vacation.



You are an upper sixth-former with a genuine interest in business and technology. In addition, you have good grades in Maths and English at GCSE level or equivalent, and expect to attain 320 or more UCAS points at A-level or equivalent (or five Bs in Scottish Highers). You have a mature and confident approach and you’re prepared to live wherever in the UK your project is located. If we assign you to a project outside London we’ll arrange your accommodation for you - usually in a house or flat with other people on your project. However, you will need to find your own London base.



If you’re invited for an interview, please send us a completed Head Teacher Assessment form.

The two stages if not including the application form-stage selection process takes place in London, starting with a one-to-one interview with a manager or a member of our HR team. Pass this, and you’ll take part in an assessment centre as it makes it sound like separate selection stages


Applications open: 01 September 2008
Applications close: 12 December 2008

Scheme start date: 7 September 2009
Scheme end date: 28 May 2010

Apply now

After completing her placement with Accenture, Safi travelled to Tanzania, to help small businesses get off the ground. She will then return to Edinburgh University for a four-year degree in Economics and Arabic.

"Accenture really believes in helping its people be the best they can be and I really think they've succeeded on that front - it's the people that make being an Accenture employee so great."

I thought the Horizons Scheme looked like a great way to know what consulting is all about and to discover how Accenture works. And financially, the opportunity was amazing for a 17 year old.

The ten-day induction in London was handled brilliantly. It had just the right mix of team-building exercises with some really useful insights into Accenture. I was also introduced to my 'buddy', Ewa, who's since become a fantastic friend.

So when I joined my project team the training meant the learning curve was not too steep. The team was developing a new IT system for one of the UK's top five insurance companies. I was in a group testing and ensuring it worked properly before it went 'live'.

They gave me the task of auditing the documents that set out how the new system would actually perform. The best part was seeing those documents - all 575 of them - successfully signed off.

The real-life involvement and the satisfaction of feeling I'd really achieved something has made me look forward to coming back. The work can be tough at times, but there were plenty of compensations, most importantly the people I met. Accenture really believes in helping its people be the best they can be and I really think they've succeeded on that front - it's the people that make being an Accenture employee so great.