Armstrong Watson is celebrating Scottish Apprenticeship Week by highlighting its growing trainee numbers and the appointment of Chris Soan, the former Associate Dean of Education at Newcastle University Business School, as Technical Training Director.

The firm currently supports nearly 200 trainees across its audit, accounting, tax, and payroll divisions, with 36 of these individuals based in Scotland. In 2025 alone, 89 new recruits joined the company. Armstrong Watson is now seeking 12 further trainees for its Glasgow and Dumfries offices, offering graduate positions and AAT/ATT roles that lead to Chartered qualifications.

Lee Patterson, a Glasgow-based Business Services Assistant in the second year of his apprenticeship, commented: "I have really enjoyed my time as an apprentice, and have found being able to study alongside working full-time to be incredibly useful, allowing me to put the things I am learning into practice on live work for clients. I am looking forward to continuing my studies and hopefully progressing onto beginning my ICAS exams and working towards becoming chartered next year."

-- Advertisement --

The appointment of Chris Soan is designed to further bolster the training and support framework provided to students. Mr Soan brings extensive experience from both academia and industry, having previously worked for PwC, Deloitte, and as a financial controller.

Chris Soan said: "My role is to strengthen the firm's support framework for our students, empowering them on their journey to becoming confident, well-rounded professionals and ensuring they enjoy an exceptional learning experience.

"I am delighted to be joining Armstrong Watson at such an exciting time for the business. I find it refreshing that a firm is prepared to invest in a new firmwide role which will continue to help its students enjoy an unrivalled training experience. This will help the delivery of exceptional client service as well as to further strengthen our leadership pipeline."

The company's dedication to vocational training has gained national recognition. In 2025, Armstrong Watson was ranked 29th in The Sunday Times Top Apprenticeship Employers, marking its fourth year on the list. Additionally, the firm climbed to 37th in the Department for Education's Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers in 2024 and was named in The Sunday Times' list of the Best Places to Work last year.

To find out more about early careers opportunities at Armstrong Watson, or to apply for trainee position, please visit www.armstrongwatson.co.uk/careers.