KPMG Insight Day: Expanding Access to Professional Services for NTU Students
By Mariam Vazquez | Published on 30 July 2026
Categories: Business;
This year, a group of NTU students visited KPMG’s Birmingham office through Nottingham Trent University's Rise Insight Programme, gaining first-hand exposure to professional services, a sector that can often feel difficult to access without prior industry experience or professional networks.
Before this, my experience in professional services was limited. I had some ideas about formal workplaces, spreadsheets, auditing and lots of big meetings, but no real insight. I wanted a real glimpse behind the scenes of one of the world's leading firms and to find out what this world was and if it was for me
– Harrison Gammons, Nottingham Law School
For many participants, it was their first experience of a global professional services firm.
Student experience
Careers in professional services can sometimes feel difficult to access for students without prior industry exposure. For KPMG, hosting the Insight Day aimed to increase awareness of the wide range of careers in the sector, challenge misconceptions about entry routes and degree backgrounds, and build confidence through direct engagement with employers.
I was surprised by how much KPMG encourages innovation and critical thinking at every level
Harisson added.
Throughout the day, students met early-career professionals from across the organisation during a Q&A session, an opportunity many undergraduates do not encounter until later in their studies. For Harrison hearing directly from graduates about their career journeys demonstrated that roles at KPMG are open to students from a wide range of academic backgrounds. Harrison explained:
Hearing about a recent graduate who had studied computing and transitioned from cybersecurity into broader auditing work particularly stood out to me.
Speaking directly with graduates during a Q&A panel also gave Victoria valuable insight into workplace culture, expectations and career development.
The Q&A panel gave us the opportunity to ask questions and find out more about KPMG and how we can gain the experience and the skills needed to work for such large firms.
- Victoria Bullock, Nottingham Business School
Partnership impact
Professional services is a highly sought-after sector among NTU students, with many keen to explore opportunities with global firms such as KPMG. The Rise Insight Programme supports students from widening participation backgrounds to explore industries they may not otherwise have considered. With over half of NTU students coming from RISE backgrounds, these opportunities play a vital role in building confidence, broadening aspirations and supporting informed career decisions.
For KPMG, hosting the Insight Day provided an opportunity to engage with NTU students who bring curiosity, fresh perspectives and a willingness to challenge ideas, qualities valued across the professional services sector. For NTU, collaborations with organisations such as KPMG reflect the university’s inclusive and student-focused approach to employability, helping students explore potential career paths while building connections with employers.
For Victoria, the experience also helped broaden her understanding of the opportunities available within the sector.
Victoria encourages future students to take part:
I would definitely recommend this to other students as it not only allowed us to network with students from many different backgrounds and degree subjects, but it also helped expand our career options and broaden our horizons about what we could do in the future.
To find out more about Rise Insight Days or discuss partnership opportunities, please contact rise@ntu.ac.uk