Kenneth Brooker

Name: Kenneth Brooker
Age: 34
Born: Wellington, New Zealand
Time in Scotland: Since January 2007

After completing his Bachelor in Commerce and Administration at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, Kenneth Brooker decided he wanted to see a bit of the world. He spent three years travelling and working in Asia before coming to the UK in 2004 on a two-year Working Holiday Maker Visa.

"New Zealand is a long way from the rest of the world. Although we're independently-minded, we feel we want to see a bit more and coming to the UK was a natural progression," he says.

Kenneth started working at the Audit Commission in London, one of the government agencies responsible for overseeing how public money is spent. He developed a detailed knowledge of how central government funds local authorities, the health service and other public organisations.

When his department was outsourced to the private sector two years later, Kenneth's Scottish roots and his love of the outdoors drew him to Scotland. His grandmother was a McLean and her family had emigrated to New Zealand in the 1840s.

"I felt there were a lot more opportunities to do outdoor activities in Scotland. There is a much greater feeling of culture and nationhood than London, because it's such a cosmopolitan city," he says.

"People are very welcoming and you really get a sense of pride in the country with celebrations like St Andrew's Day, New Year and Hogmanay. There's also the rugby and football internationals at Murrayfield and Hampden. You get a real sense of people belonging to something and that's nice."

Kenneth transferred onto the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme in 2006. It allowed him to stay in the UK for another two years as a skilled worker. He was offered a job as assistant manager in the public sector division of Scottish accountancy firm, Henderson Loggie, after contacting a recruitment agency in Scotland.

The job, based in Henderson Loggie's Edinburgh office, has three key elements: internal audit (reviewing the systems and controls of universities, colleges and other public sector clients); external audit (checking that year-end financial statements present a true and fair view) and grant claims (helping funders ensure that their money has been spent appropriately).

His knowledge of the housing benefit system from working at the Audit Commission helped Kenneth save one client, a local authority, £400,000. "The client had put something in the wrong box on the Housing Benefit Grant Claim and I picked that up," he explains. "Because of the experience I'd had down South, I knew it was a common problem that people filled in the forms incorrectly and could see it was a risk. The client would have continued to lose that sum of money every year if the mistake hadn't been spotted."

Kenneth's long term plans for the future involve returning with his fiance to Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia. He travelled there after graduating and accountancy skills were historically in short supply. Meantime he is grateful for the international experience and skills he has gained.
 
"They're very useful and very sought-after," he says of schemes such as the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme. "I think it's given me more of an understanding of different cultures and also the culture of different organisations.

"I've worked in big organisations employing thousands of staff where it feels like the centre doesn't know and doesn't care what you're doing. Whereas with this firm, because it's small you get a real sense of togetherness and working together. I've also learned detailed skills that I can potentially take to other countries. It just broadens your world view and gives you a more open perspective, which has to be a good thing."

Information correct at January 2008

Read more about the accountancy firm, Henderson Loggie