Member Article

Accountants tap into funding for apprentices

A North Tyneside accountancy firm is finding that apprenticeships add-up for them as they recruit two new trainees, with support from a government grant.

Sadler Joyce, based in Whitley Bay, took advantage of £1,500 of funding to take on accounting apprentice, Emma Savage. And they were so pleased with the impact Emma had on the business that they then recruited 20-year-old apprentice, John Scott.

Both apprentices were recruited and are being trained by Gateshead and Chester-le-Street based Access Training.

Sadler Joyce has been trading since 1993 and provides accountancy services for mainly small and medium sized firms.

Emma, 24, from Benton, was unsure what to do after completing A Levels and a BTEC. She had had a number of casual jobs in bars and supermarkets before deciding she wanted a job with professional qualifications and prospects.

Emma is now working towards an IAB qualification in bookkeeping and hopes to progress onto accounting technician qualifications. She provides support for payroll and bookkeeping.

John, from Battle Hill in North Tyneside, completed three years at college before opting to apply for an apprenticeship so he could earn whilst gaining qualifications. John is working towards a Level 2 apprenticeship in business administration and has an office support role at the firm.

Partner at Sadler Joyce, Ron Joyce, said: “We had a need for support and had worked with a couple of training providers before we came across Access. We found that Access supplied us with candidates that were head-and-shoulders above the previous potential apprentices we had been introduced to. We were so delighted with Emma and how she benefited the business that we decided to recruit another apprentice and John, too, is proving to be an asset.”

Emma said: “I had the option to go to university but I didn’t want to be burdened with debt and the jobs market is so difficult right now. So I started applying for apprenticeships but I was still unsure about exactly what type of career I wanted. But as I went through the interview process I got to speak to a range of employers and talking to them helped me decide.

“I’m finding my apprenticeship very enjoyable and it’s great to know that I’m finally going somewhere, career-wise.”

The bookkeeping apprenticeship gives apprentices the skills to accurately record business transactions using both manual and computerised techniques

The government has a pot of money available to support small to medium sized enterprises that wish to take on a 16-24 year old apprentice. To be eligible for the grant an organisation must have less than 1,000 employees and must not have employed an apprentice within the last year.

Managing director, Access Training, Malcolm Armstrong, said: “Any additional funding that helps businesses grow and gives young people work opportunities is welcome.

“Since the introduction of higher university fees we have seen the calibre of applicants for our apprenticeships get higher and higher, many of our apprentices now have A Levels and higher qualifications. We are matching very capable, ambitious young people to apprenticeship vacancies in companies across the north east.”

Access Training is an award winning work based learning provider with offices in Gateshead and Chester-le-Street.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jill Farmer (Dobson) .