Audit Apprentice Review

Auditing the accounts of the Department for Work and Pensions. Internally this can be completing testing of different areas of the financial statements such as expenditure, or attending walkthroughs with the client to understand their processes and how we can best gain assurance that the amount of fraud and error in their accounts is at a minimum.

Yes, I have developed new skills, primarily in accounting. I now understand debits and credits and how accounts are prepared, when I would have had no clue about any of that six months ago. I now also understand more about the civil service and the system of government, the different ways in which it functions and how it is held to account.

There are parts of it that are very enjoyable and the potential opportunities that are available to me as an NAO apprentice are very exciting. However, there are times throughout my training contract when I've felt like I have relatively little to do. I'm very glad I'm here, but I wouldn't say I always enjoy the programme.

The NAO could improve its internal communication structure, especially when it comes to apprentices, which somewhat hampers the organisation side of things. In the early days of my training contract, organising more things for the incoming trainees to do would have been nice. The structure of having blocks in college and internal training has worked so far, but it is a bit early to tell.

The support received for the first accounting exam was exceptional. For all exams we get a full day paid study leave and out of the 15 exams we take we have 6 chances to re-sit, which I understand to be a lot kinder than some other equivalent accounting firms. In terms of support from HR for adjustments and similar, I have heard mixed things, but I haven't experienced any of that first-hand.

BPP is no-one's favourite part of being an apprentice at the NAO. It didn't even appear to show up correctly on the list for this survey. They offer support via an online 'chat to a tutor' portal that I've never used but in general their systems aren't the easiest to use. It often feels like you have to work around them rather than them supporting you.

I have only completed three modules so far, but learning accounting and assurance have absolutely helped me perform better in my role. It has made it so that I can actually understand what's going on when looking at client data and trying to gain assurance in testing. However tax has not been useful in my role yet, and I'm not sure if law and the other's will be either, but they will all give me a more general grounding.

There are quite a few opportunities, however they are quite London-centric. The NAO has two offices and I am based in the smaller Newcastle office. I know there is a small lunchtime running club at Newcastle but that's about it. The NAO does have a sports and social association, so there is a Christmas party, summer barbecue and opportunity to try and start your own clubs, but comparatively, there are fewer activities to get involved in in Newcastle.

Yes

I think the variety of opportunities the organisation offers is something that anyone should take advantage of. From my perspective the NAO seems willing to adapt to the people within it - you can work flexibly in a way that suits you. Some colleagues at the NAO have dyed hair, tattoos and piercings, which might seem like an odd thing to highlight, but I like that I work in a place where you don't have to look and act a certain way to be an accountant.

It might sound cheesy, but be yourself. The NAO values everyone's perspective and you can bring a lot to the organisation just by sharing your viewpoint. Get to know the people around you, whether its other apprentices or people who have been here for decades, one of the best parts of being at the NAO is getting to know lots of people from many different backgrounds.