The substantial investment will support two business management or accounting graduates to achieve their chartered status through a unique and bespoke programme.

The firm which is founded by father and son Alasdair and Andrew McGill, have estimated that the investment will be around £100,000 to carry out the scheme.

The set-up of the programme combines both training and practical knowledge, providing graduates the opportunity to work directly with SMEs, and developing an in-depth knowledge of how to support businesses to grow.

Graduates will learn accounting and how businesses are built, understanding the importance of collaboration and relationship building with the client.

Jared Cordner, COO of Ashton McGill, said: “We are really excited to be able to offer this opportunity to train accountants to go beyond compliance focused, transactional relationships and coach future accountants to focus on building relationships to deliver valuable work that has an impact.”

“The individuals will get first-hand experience in performance reporting for SMEs, and while there will of course be a focus on numbers, we will teach them how to really understand how to build a business, delivering real value to the client.”

The programme will start in May 2025, but students across Scotland are invited to apply now through the Ashton McGill website.