Dains Accountants

Learn while you earn

Professional Services4 apprenticeship typesIntake

Dains Accountants recruits A-level school leavers as trainees in Accounting & Business Advisory and Audit, on a three-year structured training programme towards Chartered Accountant status: AAT then ACA in England, or AAT then the ICAS CA in Scotland. Its apprenticeships page also says it offers apprenticeships outside accountancy (business support, finance, business development, marketing). 2027 school-leaver applications opened in autumn 2026.

Programmes

4 tracked · status for the next intake that is recruiting

2027 intakeAccounting & Business Advisory Trainee (school leaver, AAT then ACA)
Apprenticeship · Legal, finance and accounting
TBC
OpensTBC
ClosesTBC
2027 intakeAccounting & Business Advisory Trainee - Scotland (school leaver, AAT then ICAS CA)
Apprenticeship · Legal, finance and accounting
TBC
OpensTBC
ClosesTBC
2027 intakeAudit Trainee (school leaver)
Apprenticeship · Legal, finance and accounting
TBC
OpensTBC
ClosesTBC
2027 intakeNon-accounting apprenticeships (Business Support, Finance, Business Development, Marketing)
Apprenticeship
TBC
OpensTBC
ClosesTBC

Apprenticeship types

4 offered · degree apprenticeships first

Accounting & Business Advisory Trainee (school leaver, AAT then ACA)
Level not published
Accountancy · 3-year structured training programme
More about this programme: Accounting & Business Advisory Trainee (school leaver, AAT then ACA)
Qualification
AAT then ACA
University or provider
Dains Academy (internal)
Business areas
Accounting & Business Advisory
Locations
Leicester
2027 intake. Advert targets A Level students for whom 'university is not for you'.
Source for Accounting & Business Advisory Trainee (school leaver, AAT then ACA)
Accounting & Business Advisory Trainee - Scotland (school leaver, AAT then ICAS CA)
Level not published
Accountancy · 3-year structured training programme
More about this programme: Accounting & Business Advisory Trainee - Scotland (school leaver, AAT then ICAS CA)
Qualification
AAT then ICAS CA
University or provider
ICAS
Business areas
Accounting & Business Advisory
Locations
Ayr, Kilmarnock
2027 intake.
Source for Accounting & Business Advisory Trainee - Scotland (school leaver, AAT then ICAS CA)
Audit Trainee (school leaver)
Level not published
Audit · Duration not published
More about this programme: Audit Trainee (school leaver)
Qualification
Not published
University or provider
Not published
Business areas
Audit
Locations
Birmingham
Listed under current opportunities on the apprenticeships page; not present in the Pinpoint feed (possibly filled), so qualification not read. A 2027 Audit Trainee and Tax Trainee were also live in Swords (Ireland, out of scope).
Source for Audit Trainee (school leaver)
Non-accounting apprenticeships (Business Support, Finance, Business Development, Marketing)
Level not published
Discipline not published · Typically one to two years
More about this programme: Non-accounting apprenticeships (Business Support, Finance, Business Development, Marketing)
Qualification
Not published
University or provider
Not published
Business areas
Business Support, Finance, Business Development, Marketing
Locations
Not published
Dains says it 'can offer apprenticeships across a variety of business areas, not just accounting'; no live advert seen.
Source for Non-accounting apprenticeships (Business Support, Finance, Business Development, Marketing)

Apprenticeship types offered by Dains Accountants, degree apprenticeships first
Apprenticeship	Level	Discipline and duration	University or provider
Accounting & Business Advisory Trainee (school leaver, AAT then ACA)Source for Accounting & Business Advisory Trainee (school leaver, AAT then ACA) More about this programme: Accounting & Business Advisory Trainee (school leaver, AAT then ACA) Qualification AAT then ACA Business areas Accounting & Business Advisory Locations Leicester 2027 intake. Advert targets A Level students for whom 'university is not for you'.	Not published	Accountancy3-year structured training programme	Dains Academy (internal)
Accounting & Business Advisory Trainee - Scotland (school leaver, AAT then ICAS CA)Source for Accounting & Business Advisory Trainee - Scotland (school leaver, AAT then ICAS CA) More about this programme: Accounting & Business Advisory Trainee - Scotland (school leaver, AAT then ICAS CA) Qualification AAT then ICAS CA Business areas Accounting & Business Advisory Locations Ayr, Kilmarnock 2027 intake.	Not published	Accountancy3-year structured training programme	ICAS
Audit Trainee (school leaver)Source for Audit Trainee (school leaver) More about this programme: Audit Trainee (school leaver) Qualification Not published Business areas Audit Locations Birmingham Listed under current opportunities on the apprenticeships page; not present in the Pinpoint feed (possibly filled), so qualification not read. A 2027 Audit Trainee and Tax Trainee were also live in Swords (Ireland, out of scope).	Not published	AuditDuration not published	Not published
Non-accounting apprenticeships (Business Support, Finance, Business Development, Marketing)Source for Non-accounting apprenticeships (Business Support, Finance, Business Development, Marketing) More about this programme: Non-accounting apprenticeships (Business Support, Finance, Business Development, Marketing) Qualification Not published Business areas Business Support, Finance, Business Development, Marketing Locations Not published Dains says it 'can offer apprenticeships across a variety of business areas, not just accounting'; no live advert seen.	Not published	Not publishedTypically one to two years	Not published

Dains Accountants does not publish the standard for any of these.

Entry requirements

Accepts UCAS pointsFrom 112 UCAS points

A levels: A minimum of 112 UCAS points or equivalent (excluding General Studies)
UCAS points: 112
GCSEs: Minimum Grade 6 in Maths and English at GCSE or equivalent (trainee adverts); the apprenticeships page says minimum Grade B
Equivalents: Equivalents accepted
Other: Eligibility to work in the UK without sponsorship

As Dains Accountants publishes them; requirements differ between programmes, so check the advert before you apply.

Application process

Online application

Online application

1
Online application
Via careers.dains.com (Pinpoint)

Typical timeline

Opens: '2027 applications now open' (apprenticeships page, 2026-10-03)
Closes: Not published
Assessment: Not published
Offers: Not published
Starts: 2027

Locations and universities

Locations: Ayr, Birmingham, Kilmarnock, Leicester
Universities and training providers: Dains Academy (internal) and Dains Learning platform, AAT, ICAEW (ACA), ICAS (CA)

Salary and benefits

Starting salary: Not published
Progression: Not published
Notes: Not published
Benefits: Structured training programme to Chartered Accountant status (ACA, CTA, ICAS)
25 days' annual leave (increasing with service) plus bank holidays
Comprehensive induction programme
Smart, flexible and hybrid working
Paid professional subscriptions and paid volunteering days
Dains Academy and Dains Learning platform

Cohort size and intakes

Intake years: 2027 intake

What stands out

Three-year AAT-to-chartered route for A-level leavers, with ICAS CA in its Scottish offices.

Sources

Where every fact above comes from

1
dains.com/why-dains/apprenticeships
Accessed 3 Oct 2026 · Apprenticeships across business areas, 1-2 years; current trainee vacancies (Leicester, Birmingham, Ayr, Kilmarnock); GCSE B; benefits.

Apprentice Atlas is not affiliated with Dains Accountants. This information comes from Dains Accountants’s own pages and job feeds, linked under Sources. Report an error or ask for a takedown.