We’re celebrating National Apprenticeship Week this week and we have some fantastic apprentices across the company. Our Managing Director started his career as an apprentice so you can go all the way to the top. Here we talk to Ellen who now works with us in a permanent role after completing her Apprenticeship.
Ellen Calder, Financial Accounting and Salary Sacrifice Co-ordinator
I started as a Business Admin apprentice in the Finance Department in April 2018.
After completing my diploma in Business administration, I applied for a job as a Finance Officer in October 2019. I was thrilled when I found out I’d got it! I was then given the opportunity to work a six-month secondment as a Financial Accounting and Salary Sacrifice Co-ordinator and now do the job on a permanent basis.
I enrolled onto the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) qualification. I am now nearly finished and am just waiting for one more result from my exam. In the future I can hopefully progress to a higher level within the team.
For me, one of the best things about working for the Finance Team is our flexible working hours. This is quite helpful for a lot of us, as we can fit work around our lifestyles.
The pandemic has changed the way we work a lot. I found it difficult in the first lockdown to adjust to working from home. It was hard to stay motivated so I reached out to my talent coach and explained that I was struggling. She helped me a lot with creating a plan for myself and setting targets. I passed two exams in 2020 and my confidence has increased since! I would say to anyone currently studying an apprenticeship to ask for help if they’re struggling and set themselves targets.
I’m currently working through my apprenticeship towards my Level 3 Assistant Accountant qualification. I’m very grateful to have been given the opportunity to study through work. I’m really enjoying being able to reflect on my studies whilst working in finance.
I would definitely recommend doing an apprenticeship! I feel that apprenticeships are not always valued as much as they should be. In my opinion, apprenticeships are actually really beneficial because you get to gain experience in a real working environment and strengthen your skills, all while earning money. It’s a win-win!