Tax pathway creates new opportunities to achieve Chartered status with Consilium

At Consilium Chartered Accountants, we are proud to support talented graduates in becoming skilled professionals through our Graduate training programme. Alongside our established Graduate training pathways with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Consilium has introduced a Tax pathway designed for those with an interest in Tax, problem-solving, and client service.

We sat down with Tax Graduate trainee, Odhran McWilliams, and his mentor, Tax Supervisor Lydia Jagger, to discuss the new pathway. Read their thoughts on the benefits of this new approach to training the next generation of Tax specialists.

The right support and tools to build a career in Tax

The Tax pathway at Consilium is structured around a strong mentoring relationship between senior Tax professionals and our trainees. This pathway, which follows the dual Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) and Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA) qualification route, offers Graduates the opportunity to specialise in both Personal Tax and Corporate Tax from the start of their career.

Odhran, who switched from the ICAS pathway, has found the preferred training route for his skills and interests. For him, having his mentor working within the same team has been invaluable:
“It’s been great to have regular check-ins with someone who has been through the combined ATT and CTA exam process. Lydia’s notes, feedback, and encouragement have kept me on track and boosted my confidence going into each assessment.”

This close working relationship has not only accelerated the development of Odhran’s technical skills but also enabled him to review work and provide guidance to junior colleagues, creating a trickle-down effect of knowledge-sharing across the team.

The Tax pathway explained

By offering a dedicated Tax programme, Consilium can attract talented graduates who are eager to develop expertise in this specialist area from the outset. For our trainees, the programme offers:

• A clear and structured career path into Tax advisory work
• The opportunity to gain dual qualifications (ATT and CTA) with built-in mentoring support
• Early exposure to both Personal Tax and Corporate Tax work.

For Consilium, it is building a pipeline of Tax professionals who can contribute to the growth of the business and deliver exceptional service to our clients.

“Flexibility in offering training routes such as ATT-CTA alongside CA and ACCA qualifications encourages more diverse skill sets in specialist areas like Tax”, explains Lydia. “We’ve seen how mentoring benefits student confidence and capability, and the dedicated Tax pathway will help us attract and retain top talent.”

The benefits of the Tax Graduate programme also extend to our senior colleagues as well: “Supporting ATT-CTA students allows team members in Tax to develop their coaching and leadership skills”, says Lydia. “This is an added benefit of helping trainees build the confidence and technical knowledge they need to progress in their roles.”

Start your post-graduate career with Consilium

If you are a graduate looking for a rewarding and intellectually stimulating opportunity, our Graduate programme could be your next step. Applications for our 2026 intake are open until the end of October 2025.

Learn more about Graduate careers at Consilium and what it is like to be part of the team as a trainee.

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