Level 2 Accounts/Finance Assistant Apprenticeship

A finance assistant is an integral part of the team responsible for maintaining an efficient and accurate finance function within a business. The finance assistant is responsible for assisting the team of accountants with junior accounting duties. These can vary massively depending on the team structure and size of business. A finance assistant’s work could include basic bookkeeping activities, working with sales and purchase ledgers, running calculations to ensure that records and payments are correct, recording of cash, and data entry. Finance assistants can work in almost any sector. Potential employers include corporate businesses, sole traders, partnerships, public sector, not-for-profit organisations, and educational institutions. Accounts assistants may work in-house for an organisation or they might work for an accountancy firm, bookkeeping practice, or shared service provider. They may even become self-employed or work on behalf of several different clients. If you would like to gain the skills to secure employment in this thriving field, this apprenticeship is the perfect programme for you.

This apprenticeship is designed for applicants who wish to have a career in accounting and finance. Completing the apprenticeship will allow you to progress into roles such as assistant accountant, trainee accounting technician, accounts clerk, finance assistant, purchase ledger clerk, sales ledger clerk, or even an accountant.

Your programme of study with lead you through the fundamentals of accounting, ensuring a basic knowledge before moving on to core knowledge, skills, and behaviours required of this level 2 apprenticeship. The knowledge, skills, and behaviours covered during the programme are:

Knowledge:

• General business
• Understanding your organisation
• Accounting systems and processes
• Basic accounting
• Ethical standards.

Skills:

• Attention to detail
• Communication
• Uses systems and processes
• Personal effectiveness.

Behaviour:

• Teamwork
• Personal development
• Professionalism
• Customer focus.

The assessment includes two distinct elements: on-programme learning and an end-point assessment (EPA). On-programme learning is an important element of the learning process as apprentices acquire the relevant knowledge, skills, and behaviours. Assessment of this learning will take an exam-based route, with the option to complete the AAT level 2 qualification.

The EPA will comprise of two components and will be assessed by an approved end-point assessment organisation, AAT.

Delivery will be in partnership with employers and adopt a blended approach of on-the-job and off-the-job training and professional development. You will receive training and mentoring in the workplace to enable you to demonstrate skills and create a portfolio of evidence which showcases the skills, knowledge, and behaviours. You will also attend weekly classes at college, during which all knowledge elements of the standard will be covered, and you will work towards achievement of on-programme knowledge exams via AAT.

At the end of your apprenticeship, the college will work with you and your employer to help you progress on to the next level of training or gain full-time employment, either with your current employer or another employer the college has access to.

As well as ensuring full competency as a finance assistant, this standard provides the foundation for progression into a number of career paths in the accounting sector, including assistant accountant, audit trainee, corporate recovery analyst, or credit controller.

You will be allocated a designated tutor to guide you through your apprenticeship. We have a team of staff dedicated to providing learning support if required, as well as a Welfare Team that is on hand to offer guidance, support and help when needed.

Click here for learning support: https://wvr.ac.uk/college-life/learning-support

We are one of the top-performing further education colleges for apprenticeships. Over nine in ten of our apprentices continue in employment or receive a promotion once they have completed their apprenticeship. We also have a dedicated apprenticeship matching service which matches your skills to a suitable apprenticeship employer. The college is dedicated to supporting you on-programme and helping you progress on to the next step.

Individual employers set the selection criteria, but this is likely to include five GCSEs, including English and maths. However, some employers will accept other relevant qualifications and experience, including a relevant level 2 qualification. If you do not have English or maths at level 2, you must achieve this prior to taking the end-point assessment. You must hold at least one functional skills qualification or equivalent in English or maths to begin the apprenticeship.