ACCA advises school leavers – ‘there are five strong reasons why you should think about an apprenticeship’

ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) today launches its first apprenticeship – the ACCA Accounting Technician Apprenticeship – offering young people and school leavers five powerful reasons why apprenticeships are a viable and credible route for a successful and exciting career accountancy.

ACCA’s Accounting Technician is offered at Level 4, leading to a Diploma in Accounting and Business, and gives another direction to the globally in-demand training offered by ACCA. This includes options to eventually progress to the full ACCA Qualification, pursue a BSc with Oxford Brookes University or from the University of London.

And with the Level 7 Accountancy Trailblazer standard expected to be approved by the government soon, ACCA is aiming to bring employers and apprentices an apprenticeship pathway all the way through to Chartered Certified level in the Autumn 2017.

John Williams, head of ACCA UK, says: ‘Our Trailblazer programme gives apprentices the opportunity to gain professional training and qualifications, building their experience and earning while they learn. And the training is funded by the government through the employer – so apprentices don’t have to pay anything as employers can use the apprenticeship levy funding to train employees.

‘But career and training choices can be overwhelming, so we have five robust reasons why we think school leavers should think about an apprenticeship. We hope this makes the choices clearer for them.’

These are:

1. Earn while learning – starting salaries for trainee accounting technicians start from £15k.
2. Secure a life balance – work, study, live. An apprentice will have time and money to enjoy life outside of work.
3. Gain a recognised qualification – ACCA is a respected brand that future employers will take seriously.
4. No debt – unlike , an apprenticeship is free, leaving the apprentice to focus on development and where they want their career to go next.
5. Get ahead – an apprentice can start and finish on the career ladder well before their peers at have even started.

John Williams concludes: ‘We recognise apprenticeships to be very much a win-win for all involved. They’re not an easier option, simply a different one for school leavers to consider. As an apprentice, they’ll work, study and be mentored by an experienced professional, for at least 12 months, and keep a diary showing the skills and behaviours they’ve learned. When their employer feels they’re ready, the apprentice will write a statement reflecting their learning and then take a final ACCA exam. On successful completion of both elements, they’ll be qualified as an Accounting Technician Apprentice – skilled and ready for the next step on the career ladder as a finance professional, adding value to their employer’s workplace.’