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Overview
The Accounts / Finance Assistant Apprenticeship (Level 2) will take approximately 12+ months to complete. The standard is equivalent to five GCSE’s at grade A-C or 9-4, and is an ideal career progression route into the accounting industry. Typical job roles associated with the programme include Bookkeeper, Accounting Clerk, Finance Clerk and Accounting Specialist.
There are no standardised eligibility criteria for this qualification. This means the individual employer will decide if a candidate is suitable.
Start date: Flexible
Typical duration: 12-18 Months (depending on hours worked each week)
Location: Nationwide (England)
ATL’s 23/24 Achievement Rate for the Level 2 Accounts/Finance Assistant Apprenticeship Standard is 100% which is above the 23/24 National Averages of 59%
Accounts / Finance Assistant Apprenticeship Features
Throughout the apprenticeship you’ll gain the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed for your chosen role and industry. To help you with this, you can expect to study the following subject areas:
- Accounting Systems and Processes
- Basic Accounting
- General Business
- Ethical Standards
- Uses Systems and Processes
During your apprenticeship you will gather evidence as part of a portfolio to demonstrate your knowledge, skills and behaviours.
This will include:
- Completion of workbooks and knowledge questions.
- Virtual observations, carried out in line with data protection and GDPR requirements.
- Recorded professional discussions to capture reflective learning and understanding.
- Witness testimonies from managers to verify on-the-job performance and competence.
Forget about lugging around all your work. The online iLearner e-portfolio system means all your work can be uploaded directly to your account and accessed wherever you go.
The system is easy to navigate and full guidance will be provided through our iLearner handbook and from your tutor through one-to-one support.
Foundation Certificate in Accounting
Apprentices will be required to complete the AAT Level 2 Certificate in Accounting alongside the apprenticeship programme. There will be exams completed throughout the programme at local examination centres.*
*Unless previously achieved or you hold an approved prior qualification. Any prior qualifications must be approved by Apprentice Team Ltd. before enrolment onto the apprenticeship.
Off-the-Job Training
For 20% of your apprenticeship, you must have time away from your regular duties. This is to engage in training related to your post and programme. Known as ‘Off-the-Job Training’, this should take place at a time convenient for both you and your employer.
The qualification is delivered through a blended learning approach. You will be required to make time to see your tutor via remote or face-to-face sessions.
The sessions will take place roughly once per month, usually lasting around 2 hours. The duration of these can be extended for any additional learning or support you require. Your tutor will also provide support and guidance in between each learning session.
You should also expect to carry out self-study and learning as part of the Off-the-Job Training using your iLearner portfolio.
Functional Skills
Functional Skills maths and English are an essential part of many apprenticeship courses. Apprentices aged 16-18 who have not previously achieved GCSE Grade 4/C (or an equivalent qualification) are required to complete and achieve their Functional Skills qualifications. However, for adult apprentices (19+), Functional Skills are now optional and not a mandatory requirement for completing an apprenticeship. The decision is for the employer and the learner to decide whether to undertake these qualifications.
Benefits of completing Functional Skills:
- Some higher-level roles and further qualifications require maths and English at Level 1 or 2. Completing Functional Skills can open doors to promotions and further education.
- Strong communication and numerical skills are essential in most job roles, helping with tasks like report writing, budgeting, and problem-solving.
- Functional Skills help with real-life tasks, such as managing finances, understanding contracts, and effective communication in personal and professional settings.
- Functional Skills are designed to be practical and flexible, meaning they can be tailored to fit around your apprenticeship work.
The End-Point Assessment
As part of your Accounts / Finance Assistant Apprenticeship, an End-Point Assessment (EPA) will be completed to demonstrate your development and growth. You can achieve either a Pass or Distinction based on your final grade.
Interview
The interview must be structured to give the apprentice the opportunity to demonstrate the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours mapped to this assessment method to the highest available grade.
An independent assessor will conduct and assess the interview.
The interview must last for 60 minutes. The independent assessor can increase the time of the interview by up to 10%. This time is to allow the apprentice to respond to a question if necessary.
The independent assessor will ask at least 6 questions.
Business Environment (synoptic) exam
This will be the final exam for the AAT Level 2 Certificate in Accounting.
It will cover introduction to bookkeeping, bookkeeping controls, costings, and the business environment. The business environment unit investigates the different type of entities and how these are set up including their reporting duties and how these are financed.
The assessment takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete and is a selection of multiple-choice questions, drop down box questions, data entry and written explanations.
Go Further
Once you’ve completed your Accounts / Finance Assistant Apprenticeship, there are several progression routes available, dependent on your industry and job role:
- Assistant Accountant (Level 3)
- Payroll Administrator (Level 3)
- Business Administrator (Level 3)
- Team Leader (Level 3)
- HR Support (Level 3)
You can also progress into a variety of job roles, such as Assistant Accountant, Accounting Technician, Cashier Finance Assistant and many more!
Contact us for further information!
Call us on 01246 278931, email info@apprenticeteam.co.uk or fill in the contact form below to check availability and for further advice about the next steps.
Our team will be happy to advise you on additional programmes we provide and can help point you in the right direction for any learning requirement not delivered by Apprentice Team Ltd.
