Pupils Reach for the stars at Meston Reid & Co

Through the Reach Scotland programme, the University of Aberdeen arranged for pupils to visit Aberdeen chartered accountancy practice Meston Reid & Co.

Three Meston Reid trainee accountants – Jenny Robertson, Nathan Taylor and Kyle Gordon – highlighted the various day-to-day operations of an accountancy firm.

Reach Scotland is a national project which provides information, advice and guidance on applying to high demand professional subjects. It is managed and delivered by five partner universities: University of Aberdeen, University of Dundee, University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow and University of St Andrews.

The pupils who visited Meston Reid & Co were Emily Gillibrand – Milne’s High School (Fochabers), Rita Santos, Lochside Academy, Amanda Szady, Harlaw Academy and Mia Gracie, Harlaw Academy (all Aberdeen).

Jenny Robertson, trainee chartered accountant at Meston Reid & Co, said: “We were delighted to have this opportunity to highlight accountancy as a career choice. There are a number of facets to the role from accounts and software to client engagement. Meston Reid & Co was happy to support the Reach programme and hopefully the pupils gained a better understanding of accountancy as a career option.”

Emily Paterson, Reach project officer at the University of Aberdeen, said: “The Reach programme seeks to broaden the access to professional careers for pupils across a number of schools in the North East of Scotland. The fact that members of staff involved from Meston Reid & Co were trainees and school leavers made it a relatable and engaging experience for pupils. We thank Meston Reid & Co for its support.”

The Reach programme is a widening access initiative open to pupils in S4-S6. It initially focused on law and medicine but was recently extended to include accounting, computing science, engineering and psychology.

Established in 1990, Meston Reid & Co is a chartered accountancy practice with strong expertise in tax, audit, insolvency, corporate finance, business advisory, payroll and landed estates. The firm has a broad range of clients, from sole traders to large businesses with international operations.