Assistant Accountant

On an assistant accountant apprenticeship course, you will help both internal and external clients in managing their financial and accounting affairs. You will help support the routine financial operations, such as data entry for monthly management reports and year-end financial statements, as well as complying with regulatory financial obligations, including completing VAT returns and assisting with tax computations.

What you’ll learn

On an assistant accountant apprenticeship course, you’ll learn to:

• Understand the fundamentals of financial accounting, encompassing the calculation and entry of accruals and prepayments, management of fixed asset records, accounting for asset acquisition and disposal, depreciation, and financial financing.
• Grasp the principles of management accounting, which includes cost estimation, awareness of monthly and rolling forecasts, financial planning principles, computation of income and expenditure budgets, approval by budget holders, and the examination and reporting of discrepancies in budgets.
• Comprehend the principles of creating and maintaining financial records, covering accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash management, and payroll principles.
• Gain insight into potential vulnerabilities within financial control systems, such as internal fraud and money laundering.
• Acquire a foundation in indirect taxation, including methods for completing indirect tax returns and managing associated documentation and records.
• Familiarise yourself with the basics of digital financial and accounting software and applications, including maintaining essential databases, spreadsheet use, data analytics, and the responsible utilisation of data for information provision.
• Embrace cybersecurity principles and safe online practices within finance and accounting.
• Understand data security principles and comply with legislative requirements pertaining to data handling in financial and accounting contexts.
• Explore approaches to diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness and recognise their impact on finance and accountancy.
• Comprehend the role of accountancy or finance in organisational business strategies.
• Gain insight into the broader financial and accounting professional landscape, including the necessity of staying informed about technological and practice changes and an awareness of the roles of regulators and professional bodies.
• Grasp the principles of professional ethics and codes of conduct in the finance and accounting environment.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• Five GCSEs at 9-4 (or A*-C on the old grading scale), including English and Maths.

Assessment methods

The programme is assessed in various ways before completing the End Point Assessment including a knowledge assessment and a professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio.

Restrictions and requirements

• Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the end-point assessment.

Duration, level, subjects and potential salary upon completion