KPMG Birmingham opens office to Youth Justice Service under Opening Doors programme

KPMG Birmingham opened its city office to a cohort of young people served by the Birmingham Youth Justice Service as part of KPMG UK’s Opening Doors to Opportunities programme, the firm said after the visit on Feb 23, 2026. The event, hosted in partnership with Birmingham Children’s Trust and charity partners, is the programme’s second iteration following an inaugural session in October 2025.

The day’s schedule at KPMG’s Birmingham city office included an office tour, opportunities to observe different departments, and interactive group sessions aimed at teamwork, leadership and problem-solving. A former participant from the October 2025 session returned as a peer mentor for the new cohort, and Talentfoundry materials used by KPMG note that students “will tackle a challenge based on a real client brief” and take on the role of KPMG consultants guided by employee mentors.

KPMG UK positions the visit within a wider firm commitment to skills and social mobility. The Opening Doors to Opportunities initiative has pledged to build the skills of 1 million young people by 2030, and KPMG materials state that “alone we have welcomed over 5,000 young people into our offices this year.” Locally, KPMG’s Birmingham reporting says nearly half of the office volunteered in 2025, with 53% of colleagues logging over 7,429 hours across community activities.

Andrew Bostock, Birmingham office senior partner at KPMG UK, commented on the visit in firm messaging: “Opening Doors to Opportunities is central to our commitment to improving social mobility. Meeting the young people from Birmingham Youth Justice Service and hearing their stories firsthand was incredibly inspiring. By welcoming them into our office, we wanted to show them what’s possible and help build confidence in their own potential. [...]” KPMG’s regional statement adds: “We believe talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. That’s why we’re focused on creating meaningful experiences that broaden horizons and build skills. I’m proud we can help open doors and support young people across our region as they take their next steps toward a brighter future.”

The visit comes against regional data cited by KPMG showing the West Midlands among areas with a high proportion of 16–24-year-olds not in education, employment or training, with Birmingham reporting a combined NEET rate of 6.4%. KPMG says the Opening Doors approach responds to new statutory guidance asking schools to offer multiple workplace experiences before age 16.

KPMG’s youth-work formats include Talentfoundry-led Office Edition sessions for Year 5–13 students, typically 30–80 students over two-hour sessions, and a paid in-person Discovery work experience programme. KPMGcareers lists upcoming Discovery dates and addresses for August 2026, including a Birmingham run on 5–7 August 2026 at 1 Snow Hill Queensway, Birmingham, B4 6GH; the firm’s materials do not explicitly confirm that the Youth Justice Service visit took place at that specific address.

KPMG and partner materials also contain an inconsistent attribution in the supplied impact report: a passage reads “We were delighted to welcome students to HSBC as part of the Opening Doors to Opportunities programme in collaboration with KPMG,” attributed in the extract to “Linda Harding, Sales Manager, United Airlines.” The supplied documents do not resolve that discrepancy. Talentfoundry participant feedback included: “The whole experience was inspiring and engaging…There was a definite buzz on the train journey home with learners asking when the next trip will be.”

The Birmingham visit is presented by KPMG as a concrete office-level example of the firm’s 1 million by 2030 pledge and of the local volunteering figures the firm highlights for 2025.