LET’S MAKE MATHEMATICS AS EXCITING A CAREER AS THE ARTS

But real-life accountancy isn’t cut and dried, and her first job – at a small firm of accountants in Worcester, saw her working in the local business community.

“A lot of my work was for farmers and construction workers, where I spent my time typing their invoices and analysing them out. It wasn’t the most exciting job, but it was a necessary part of learning.”

Moving to a larger practice she began focusing on tax, an area of accountancy which interested her most.

Ten years ago, Jemma joined Hazlewoods in Cheltenham. Moving into the innovation team, she began helping clients reduce their tax liabilities using the government’s R&D tax credit relief and, since 2013, its Patent Box.

“The UK government’s Patent Box encourages companies to keep and commercialise intellectual property in the UK. It effectively allows them to apply a lower rate of Corporation Tax to profits earned from their patented inventions.”

Why did she decide to focus on this area of accounting? “It’s satisfying getting to know an innovative business. I often first work with them on securing R&D tax credits. Then, when they have secured patents and are commercialising their products, I can say to them: “You’ve done all this great research, created new products and inventions and in return, we can help reduce your tax bill and you can reinvest that saving to make your business even better.”

So it’s a win/win for Jemma in terms of job satisfaction and for her clients who benefit from lower tax bills.

What can be done to encourage more students to recognise their mathematical capabilities?

“Perhaps the GCHQ approach where every Christmas they set out a difficult puzzle that no mere mortal can attempt to solve unless they’ve got a brain which is wired that way.

“That’s a fun way to discover whether your brain is wired for a career in mathematics, accountancy or data.”

Jemma has achieved a lot in her career at Hazlewoods, but she’s not done yet. Having become an acknowledged expert in R&D tax credits and Patent Box, Jemma, now 40, wants to make Hazlewoods the go-to advisory service for innovative companies regionally and nationwide.”

“I discovered early what I was good at, and accountancy is giving me huge job satisfaction. I work with people from a broad range of businesses, and most importantly –doing my job delivers huge benefits and tax savings to my clients.”

Teenager secures first job after rugby’s HITZ programme hits the mark

A teenager has started his first full-time job after receiving a boost from an education and employability programme delivered by the rugby club Wasps.

Kieran Bolton, 17, has started working full-time at Park Sheet Metal in Exhall near Nuneton as a part picker after excelling in an 80-plus hour work placement organised through the Wasps’ HITZ programme.

HITZ works with 16 to 19-year-olds to improve their maths and English, develop valuable life skills and earn other relevant qualifications. This work is coupled with organising work experience placements with local employers.

Kieran said: “I don’t think I would have got an opportunity like this without HITZ.

It was good to hear that Park Sheet Metal was interested in taking me on full-time, it’s my first job and I’m really enjoying working here.”

Graham Penter, Finance Director at Park Sheet Metal, said: “We approached Wasps to say that we were interested in giving young, enthusiastic people with the right mind-set opportunities through traineeships with the business.

“Kieran’s attitude has been fantastic, he completed more than 80 hours work with us and we were really pleased to be able to offer him a full-time job.

“This is the first time we have done something like this. We have previously struggled to find the right way of reaching out to young people in the local area and give them opportunities.

“This programme with Wasps has helped and we are keen to take more trainees on in the future.”

Bristol’s Metro Mayor secures £3.3 million for Skills Bootcamps

Metro Mayor Dan Norris has secured £3.3 million funding to expand a series of successful Skills Bootcamp programmes through the West of England Combined Authority.

The government cash will allow another 1,200 West of England learners to take part in free skills bootcamps across the region.

The camps offer flexible courses up to 16 weeks to the unemployed and those seeking a career change, as well as employed local people looking to gain new skills.

Dan Norris said: ““There is training for heat and solar panel installers and retrofit advisors, vital if we are going to reach our net-zero ambitions, plus there are courses for people who want to be HGV drivers – so important to keeping our shelves full – and welders, plumbers and more.”

Careers inspiration for 4,500 people at Bucks Skills Show

The Buckinghamshire Skills Show 2022 returned in March with more than 120 businesses and 4,500 people walking through the doors of Westcott Venture Park for two days of careers inspiration.

Students, young adults and people of all ages looking to change career path were able to meet with more than 120 businesses and organisations exhibiting, including Pinewood Studios, Google, MetroBank, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Cliveden House, Cisco, Buckinghamshire Council and Satellite Applications Catapult.

Organised by the Buckinghamshire Skills Hub, the event followed on from a virtual Skills Show in 2020.

South West tech sector set to create 125,000 jobs and grow to nearly £20bn

The South West of England’s tech sector is set to grow to almost £20 billion “gross value added” a year by 2026, creating more than 125,000 new jobs, according to a new study commissioned by Tech South West.

The study reveals that the South West is rapidly becoming a global leader in environmental tech, with internationally tech firms, centres of excellence, science parks, university research, and innovation hubs in specialisms including environmental science, marinetech, climate science and cleantech, along with fintech, deep tech and robotics.

The South West is now generating around one in 11 of all new tech startups in the country. With nearly 170,000 people working in the sector, the GVA per capita of £1,943 is the second highest in the UK when compared to all other regions outside London and the South East, the study reveals.