Apprentice Review

Roles change depending on the team I was placed in but for the most part I would be regularly speaking to the client and undertaking testing within Audit on the more basic and straight forward sections. This would include agreeing balances. As well as more mundane tasks such as summarising data.

I've defiantly developed on becoming more confident as at times you can be thrown in the deep end and another skill that works hand in hand with this is becoming adaptable and adjusting to new situations or surroundings. This apprentice scheme has taught me how to act and respond in the working world.

In the current field I'm in I don't have a keen interest so I can not say I'm enjoying the work exactly however this is a learning experience nonetheless and only part of the journey. In addition, the opportunities are endless so it is about utilising what resources you have!

I think the programme is very well structured and thought out which benefits us apprentices in many ways. A big benefit would be having a team that is solely responsible for the apprentices. However, the biggest downside would be that in the 360 programme I believe we have the most demanding roles in terms of having client work, exam revision and coursework yet we are the only programme out of the three which does not have one study day a week rather we only have study days for exams and once very so often for coursework. I believe it would help greatly if we had one a week like the other programmes as we would then be able to even our workload.

Personally I have a very positive experience with my employers as they are always ready to listen to my concerns and try to address them accordingly. Only development point would be that the resourcing team should have more an active role in getting to know us as at the end of the day they decide where we are placed therefore it is only right that they get to know our interests.

The trainer provider has given us access to so many resources which aids our learning towards our qualification. Quite unlikely to be unsure how to complete a task or how to go about completing a task as they have everything explained in detail. As well as making sure to they have regular communication with us.

At the moment it has given me a solid foundation and allowed me to have basic knowledge when discussing topics as they key terms are learnt. However I never really have the opportunity to use the techniques learnt for the exams in everyday work life however this may change in the future.

There are plenty of networking opportunities yet they are limited in the sense of being accessible to them as they may run through the day and thus being unable to get released from work. Also, majority of events are based around drinking which makes it difficult as personally I do not drink.

Yes

Although there are a few cons to this apprenticeship, it can't take away from the fact this is an excellent initiative which is providing schools leavers with a rare opportunity to be earning while learning straight after leaving sixth form. I'm beyond appreciative for the job I have at this firm and it has defiantly helping to shape the person I am today.

I would say to stay determined and commitment because the process isn't for the faint hearted as it is very vigorous for good reason as the hardest part about the apprenticeship is not getting a place but actually maintaining it. Another tip is that you should spend your time researching and making sure not only that you're a right fit for the firm but the firm is the right fit for you.