PwC, the professional services firm, will open its doors across the UK this week to 351 paid interns, the largest group ever to join the firm’s summer business programme for students.

Responding to record levels of interest, and an increased emphasis by the firm on identifying talented students earlier for full-time trainee roles, the programme was expanded by 50% this year, and now represents over a quarter of its total student and graduate hire activity. Around 420 interns will join across this year in total.

Almost 8,000 students applied in eight months, an 88% increase on last year. Some 23 students were vying for each role, with interns joining from over 45 universities from Swansea to Stirling, Aberdeen to Exeter.

The interns work in PwC’s tax, assurance and consulting businesses, are coached and mentored and take part in training and assessment programmes during their time with the firm. Before finishing university, 95% of interns are offered a full time graduate role at PwC.

Sonja Stockton, director of recruitment at PwC, says: “Over a third of our full-time graduate intakes this year are former interns. We’re recruiting with confidence from this group, because they have real experience of our business, clients and industry under their belts, so can hit the ground running in their career.

“Unlike the graduate jobs market, it’s not a one-way street, because it allows students to test employers, not just the employers testing the students.”