Accounts/Finance Assistant – Apprenticeship

An Accounts/Finance Assistant is responsible for assisting a team of accountants with junior accounting duties. Work could include basic bookkeeping activities, working with sales and purchase ledgers, running calculations to ensure that records and payments are correct and recording of cash and data entry.

During this apprenticeship, you will be required to learn the following knowledge, skills and behaviours:

KNOWLEDGE:
– General Business: Aware of elements of commercial law that may have an impact when working in accountancy, such as contracts, data protection or Anti Money Laundering. Aware of the impact of technology on business and its accounting and finance functions.
– Understanding Your Organisation: Understand own role within the context of your organisation.Understand transactional processes of accounting and their use within a finance function.
– Accounting Systems & Processes: Understand accounting systems and processes, routine accounts reports and the basics of internal control within the organisation.
– Basic Accounting: Aware of basic accountancy concepts and double entry bookkeeping. Understand cost recording system within the organisation.
Develop an understanding of the differences between Financial and Management Accounting.
– Ethical Standards: Understands corporate social responsibility, ethics and sustainability within organisations. Understand the need to keep up-to-date with relevant policies, procedures, regulatory or system changes.

SKILLS:
– Attention to Detail: Examine data to identify issues, reconcile data to minimise the chance of errors, recognise and rectifies errors.
– Communication: Deal effectively with a range of stakeholders using appropriate communication methods to deliver accurate and timely results. Avoid jargon. Demonstrate good listening and speaking skills.
– Use Systems and Processes: Utilise relevant office/accounting software packages to input and manage data accurately. Maintain the security of accounting information.
– Personal Effectiveness: Organise self and prioritise workload/activity to meet deadlines. Actively identify team workload problems and offer support where appropriate. Ability to understand issues beyond own remit.

BEHAVIOUR:
-Team Work: Support colleagues. Build working relationships. Be aware of impact on others.
– Personal Development: Successfully implement changes that are required, as directed. Display ongoing commitment to learning and self-improvement.
– Professionalism: Behave professionally by adhering to the organisational code of conduct. Show integrity. Demonstrate personal pride in the job.
– Customer Focus: Build and maintain customer satisfaction with the products and services offered. Deliver excellent service, identifying and meeting or exceeding customer expectations.

Upon completion of this apprenticeship, you could apply for the a professional membership with the IAB or ICB.