Available Finance and Accounting Qualifications and Apprenticeships in London
Please ensure you have full information about each qualification before applying. Details of those accounting qualifications are listed below:
* Note that these courses are funded subject to eligibility!
Maintaining an efficient and accurate finance function within a business.
Occupation:
Accounts or Finance Assistant
Role Profile:
An Accounts or finance assistant is an integral part of the team responsible for maintaining an efficient and accurate finance function within a business. The Accounts or 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. An Accounts or 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. Accounts or finance assistant can work in almost any sector.
Potential employers include corporate businesses, sole traders, partnerships, Public sector, not-for-profit organisations and educational institutions. Accounts or finance assistant may work in-house for an organisation or they might work for an accountancy firm, bookkeeping practice, Shared Service provider, self-employed or on behalf of several different clients.
Entry Requirements:
Individual employers will determine their own entry requirements.
All Accounts or finance assistant will demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and behaviours.
Knowledge – What Is Required for Occupational Competence?
General Knowledge
Understanding Your Organisation
Accounting Systems and Processes
Basic Accounting
Ethical Standards
Skills – What Is Required for Occupational Competence?
Attention to Detail
Communication
User Systems and Processes
Personal Effectiveness
Behaviour – What Is Required for Occupational Competence?
Team Work
Personal Development
Professionalism
Customer Focus
Typically, 12 to 14 months.
Apprentices will be required to take one of the professional qualifications listed below, as chosen by the employer to be most relevant to the job role:
On completion, the apprentice will be able to apply for the appropriate level of professional membership aligned with this apprenticeship, dependent on the qualification chosen. Professional body memberships that are relevant to the options for this apprenticeship are:
Neither AAT nor ACCA offers professional registration upon completion of this apprenticeship.
Apprentices without Level 1 English and maths will need to achieve this level and have taken the test for Level 2 prior to taking their endpoint assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeships’ English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. British Sign Language qualifications are an alternative to English qualifications for whom this is their primary language
2
Three years from the date of the standard or when significant change is required.
Carrying out routine financial activities and support for businesses and organisations of all types and sizes.
Occupation:
Accounts or Finance Assistant
Typical Job Titles:
Duration:
Typically, 15 to 18 Months
Level:
3
Role Profile:
An Assistant Accountant provides support to internal and external customers and will work predominately either as an assistant accountant within practice or within the finance function of an organisation.
Part of their role will involve assisting in the day to day financial activities such as data entry to month end management accounts and/or year-end financial statements.
Additionally, the Assistant Accountant may find themselves involved in regulatory financial requirements such as the completion of VAT returns or assisting in the preparation of tax computations.
Entry Requirements:
Individual employers set the selection criteria, but this is likely to include 5 GCSEs, including Maths and English, although some employers will accept other relevant qualifications and experience, including a relevant Level 2 qualification.
Apprentices without English or Maths at Level 2 must achieve this prior to taking the endpoint assessment.
Knowledge – What Is Required for Occupational Competence?
Business Awareness
IT Systems and Processes
Ethical Standards
Financial Accounting and Reporting
Management Accounting
Skills – What Is Required for Occupational Competence?
Analysis
Communication
Produces Quality and Accurate Information
User Systems and Processes
Problem Solving
Behaviour – What Is Required for Occupational Competence?
Embracing Change
Adding Value
Ethics and Integrity
Personal Accountability
Productivity
Team Working and Collaboration
As well as ensuring full competency as an Assistant Accountant, this standard provides the foundation for progression into a number of career paths in the Accounting sector including Audit Trainee, Corporate Recovery Analyst, Credit Controller, or Tax Accountant.
The apprenticeship will be reviewed after a maximum of 3 years.
Working as an accountant or bookkeeper for an accounting practice, business, organisations, or HMRC.
Occupation:
Occupation: Individuals in the role of a Professional accounting or tax technician will have responsibility for creating, and/or verifying and reviewing, accurate and timely financial information within the organisation in which they are employed or on behalf of another organisation. This will be performed in order to meet relevant ethical, professional and legal standards, and will utilise the individual’s knowledge of the business systems and processes, as well as standard accounting and tax practices. This role may exist in an accounting practice, a professional services company, HMRC, or the accounting function of a business or other organisation.
Examples of roles as a Professional accounting or tax technician include, but are not limited to, Assistant auditor, Assistant management accountant, Assistant financial accountant, Accounts payable and expenses supervisor, Commercial analyst, Payroll manager, Senior bookkeeper, Senior financial officer, Tax investigations officer, Personal tax assistant and Business tax assistant.
AThis occupation covers two areas of specialism, accounting and tax. A successful apprentice will have met the core requirements common to both areas and one of the two technical knowledge option requirements. A competent Professional accounting or tax technician, on completion of the apprenticeship standard, will meet the following requirements.
Knowledge – What Is Required for Occupational Competence?
Technical Knowledge
Business Awareness
Accounting Systems and Processes
Basic Accounting
Ethical Standards
Regulation and Compliance
Systems and Processes
The above technical knowledge will be understood and applied according to the relevant statutory and regulatory environment.
Skills – What Is Required for Occupational Competence?
Analysis
Communication
Leadership
Planning and Prioritisation
Produces Quality and Accurate Information
Team Working and Collaboration
User Systems and Processes
The above skills will be acquired and demonstrated, through a process of continuous self-improvement, in a changing and sometimes pressurised environment
Behaviour – What Is Required for Occupational Competence?
Adaptability
Adding Value
Ethics and Integrity
Professionalism
Professional Scepticism
It is anticipated that candidates will typically complete the apprenticeship within 18 to 24 months.
Individual employers will identify entry requirements in terms of previous qualifications, training or other criteria. Most candidates will have Level 2 maths and English (equivalent to GCSE grade C or above), ideally as part of 5 GCSE A-C grades or other comparable qualifications.
Apprentices without English or Maths at Level 2 must achieve this prior to the completion of the apprenticeship.
Level 4
The Professional accounting or tax technician standard allows student registration with a number of UK professional bodies in this sector. If a candidate seeks to become a member of a professional body there may be other requirements specific to the relevant professional body, which may be taken as part of, or alongside, the Apprenticeship at the employer’s and candidate’s discretion.
Completion of the professional accounting or tax technician apprenticeship may lead to the candidate receiving credits towards the completion of the Professional accountant or tax apprenticeship or chartered Accountancy or taxation qualifications provided by the relevant professional bodies. Completion of the professional accounting or tax technician apprenticeship may also result in credits being awarded towards relevant undergraduate degree programmes.
The standard will be reviewed after a maximum of 3 years to ensure it is updated to reflect employer demand for changes in the syllabus.