Accountancy apprenticeships

Author
Discussion

rasto

Original Poster:

2,188 posts

236 months

Wednesday 8th July 2015
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Bit of a long shot, but probably worth me asking here. My eldest daughter has just finished her A levels (Accountancy, Maths and Photography) and is looking into apprenticeship schemes. I will also cross post this in jobs & employment, but as she is hoping to find somewhere local to us (Woking) I thought it might be worth asking in here.

So, does anyone work at an accountancy firm or business offering apprenticeship schemes?

Cheers
Rob

JackReacher

2,118 posts

214 months

Thursday 9th July 2015
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Some of the big 4 firms have school leaver schemes, obviously not local but train into town from London from Woking is easy.

krisdelta

4,566 posts

200 months

Friday 10th July 2015
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Worth contacting the local council and any big company in Woking that has it's base there. Everyone needs someone to tidy the books up smile

Eric Mc

121,782 posts

264 months

Friday 10th July 2015
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It's nice to see that the profession is returning to the traditional way in which accountants received their training. This is how I managed to get into the profession - university was not an option for me back in 1976.

Of course, back in the 1970s they weren't referred to as "apprentices". They were referred to as "articled clerks".

krisdelta

4,566 posts

200 months

Friday 10th July 2015
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I managed to start out in accountancy at the point it wasn't hip or sexy - now the cool kids are doing it. As that became cool, I moved into IT laugh

Eric Mc

121,782 posts

264 months

Friday 10th July 2015
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Being an actuary awaits.

rasto

Original Poster:

2,188 posts

236 months

Friday 10th July 2015
quotequote all
Sigh

I had hoped to leave this thread in TV&S so that the locals would see it, I already had a thread in here:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Thanks for the input Jack, Kris & Eric, she has a 2nd interview at another place next week that we are keeping our fingers crossed for. I just want to get her to cover all the bases by applying elsewhere.

CaptainSlow

13,179 posts

211 months

Monday 13th July 2015
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She can sign up and start studying before getting an apprenticeship in place. Look at the local colleges and universities for more cost effective courses than the professional training schools.

krisdelta

4,566 posts

200 months

Monday 13th July 2015
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Eric Mc said:
Being an actuary awaits.
Probably too cool still - I'll need to wait a while wink

rasto

Original Poster:

2,188 posts

236 months

Wednesday 9th September 2015
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Time for an update smile

Has anyone heard of this company?

http://www.taxassist.co.uk

She has just been offered an apprenticeship with them so I'm doing a bit of a background check.

L4CON

145 posts

104 months

Wednesday 9th September 2015
quotequote all
rasto said:
Time for an update smile

Has anyone heard of this company?

http://www.taxassist.co.uk

She has just been offered an apprenticeship with them so I'm doing a bit of a background check.
TaxAssist is focused on a high volume of low complexity work, so it doesn't really seem like to the best place to start off in my opinion.

I'd certainly recommend looking at bigger firms where she would get exposed to bigger clients and be more likely to have a structured development pathway. Obviously I'm not speaking from experience, but an apprenticeship at a TaxAssist franchise seems like it may just be cheap labour for them to churn out very simple tax returns.

Out of interst, what qualification/s are being offered in the apprenticeship? And would your daughter be given paid study leave to attend college, or expected to do all study in her own time?

rasto

Original Poster:

2,188 posts

236 months

Wednesday 9th September 2015
quotequote all
L4CON said:
TaxAssist is focused on a high volume of low complexity work, so it doesn't really seem like to the best place to start off in my opinion.

I'd certainly recommend looking at bigger firms where she would get exposed to bigger clients and be more likely to have a structured development pathway. Obviously I'm not speaking from experience, but an apprenticeship at a TaxAssist franchise seems like it may just be cheap labour for them to churn out very simple tax returns.

Out of interst, what qualification/s are being offered in the apprenticeship? And would your daughter be given paid study leave to attend college, or expected to do all study in her own time?
Thanks for that, you confirmed what I was thinking. She would be studying for an AAT level 3 as part of the scheme, we are trying to find out if the study time is included in the hours she has been quoted.

L4CON

145 posts

104 months

Wednesday 9th September 2015
quotequote all
rasto said:
Thanks for that, you confirmed what I was thinking. She would be studying for an AAT level 3 as part of the scheme, we are trying to find out if the study time is included in the hours she has been quoted.
No problem, feel free to send me a PM if you have any specific questions. For reference, I did an apprenticeship at a big four firm.

Eric Mc

121,782 posts

264 months

Thursday 10th September 2015
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My view too.

I would be looking at getting involved with a more traditional accounting practice rather than one of the more modern "franchise" type operations - which is how Taxassist operate.

CaptainSlow

13,179 posts

211 months

Thursday 10th September 2015
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Sadly apprenticeships are quite hard to find. If you are unable to find an alternative I would suggest taking up their offer.

Eric Mc

121,782 posts

264 months

Thursday 10th September 2015
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More and more firms are turning to this method of training. Indeed, up until the 1980s, it was THE way of training in the accounting profession. However, back then, it wasn't referred to as an "apprenticeship". Apprenticeships were for the trades.
In the professions, one was an "articled clerk".
That's how I trained in the 1970s. You signed up with a principle (one of the partners in the firm) and remained with the firm for at least four years whilst studying and (hopefully) passing your exams.

CaptainSlow

13,179 posts

211 months

Thursday 10th September 2015
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Times have changed. Competition for apprenticeships and internships is at an all times high and youth unemployment rates aren't in a good way. It's tough out there for the youngsters. The large Corps are able to recruit graduates including MBA grads for unpaid long term internships. If the OP's daughter has an offer and no better alternative I'd recommend taking it.

Eric Mc

121,782 posts

264 months

Thursday 10th September 2015
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This type of internship with accounting firms had almost completely ceased. It's good to see them coming back.

s2kjock

1,677 posts

146 months

Thursday 10th September 2015
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If Taxassist is just a franchised operation that various/numerous small accountancy businesses operate through then presumably the nature of work and perhaps quality of training varies between individual franchisees? ie it might not be as dull or specialised as it might appear.

I have no experience of them so not able to advise, so it depends on what you can find out about the actual work - ideally from third parties rather than Taxassist in case the "diverse, exciting, opportunity laden, challenging trainee position" just turns out to be sticking figures into a bit of software, or entering details of receipts all day every day.

The best way IMHO for this sort of training is to go with a small to medium sized firm that will provide reasonable training and variety of work and experience. You would need to be happy with your potential liabilities for exam/training costs if you start under a formal training contract and then decide to move on however.

zedstar

1,735 posts

175 months

Thursday 10th September 2015
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Don't know what its like down South but here up North its very difficult to get anyone to work, twice we've had interviews, offered the job and then they decide they're happy where they are. The last 2 we got from an accountancy recruiter, both massively underperformed and didn't have the skills we were told they had. Any decent young staff who have that urge to work and learn get swallowed up by the medium size firms.

We're a very small practice, but the last 2 grads we had work for us left and now work in very well paid jobs down South - they accepted a couple of years modest salary to start them off though, a rare quality in todays youth i've found...