Jessica Cridland is employed by Age UK in Milton Keynes as an Accounting Apprentice.

Jessica, after successfully passing her AAT Level 2 is continuing her off the job learning, studying for her Level 3 AAT Diploma and Level 4 Diploma with the Accounting Academy Partnership (AAP) in Milton Keynes in partnership with Bedford College.

Age UK has a vision of a world in which older people flourish. They aim to provide later life for everyone through their information and advice, campaigns, products, training and research.

Age UK Milton Keynes has a strong ethos of supporting and helping to develop its workforce to enable individuals to reach their full potential.   Employing an apprentice fits very well with this policy.   Jessica joined us last November and we were introduced to each other by staff from the Accountancy Academy.    She settled into our routines very quickly and during the short time she has worked with us has become part of our team.  Jessica is providing us with valuable support and I hope we are providing her with an all-round work experience, so important for apprentices. We believe this is an excellent partnership all round.

Jessica has a hearing impairment and has worked to overcome this barrier with help and support from her trainer; Jane Mitchell and Bedford College Student Support team. Jessica says: “Since joining Age UK as a member of staff and following a highly regarded AAT qualification, I feel that the level of delivery and support to me personally has been outstanding.  I have been encouraged to excel in both the academy and my work place.  I am hearing impaired, my hearing loss is recognised by the academy and is not a barrier to my learning and career development.  Working at Age UK is a vital link to reinforce my academic knowledge.  This apprenticeship was definitely the right choice for me.”

Jessica’s father, John Cridland CBE, Director-General of the CBI says, ‘’I am delighted that Jessica is an apprentice with Age UK and following her off the job training with the Accounting Academy Partnership.  I am passionate about the importance of apprenticeships to the future of the British economy, and what they can do for young people.  I am very impressed by this accounting apprenticeship and the quality of the experience that it offers. It is a good role model for what the apprenticeship brand stands for.’’

AAP operates throughout the year with start dates for apprentices in March, July, September and November.   We have Apprenticeship Academies in the following locations:

North Hertfordshire – Letchworth

South Hertfordshire – St Albans

Buckinghamshire – Milton Keynes

West Midlands – Birmingham

North West – Liverpool

For more information visit our website  www.accountingapprenticeships.co.uk 

 

Yesterday saw the publication of a National Audit Office report on adult apprenticeship provision. 3AAA welcomes the reports overall conclusion that the programme presents value for money and significant economic benefit to the nation in terms of the amount of public money invested compared with economic returns delivered.

Peter Marples, director of 3AAA commented ‘this report is to be welcomed. 3AAA deliver a number of adult apprenticeships on behalf of our customers which are delivering real value for them and the learners themselves. It recognises the journey travelled for the employee and supports them in being more effective in their workplace’

_National training organisation Aspire Achieve Advance Limited (3AAA) announced today that it is committed to creating 2012 new jobs for young people aged over 16 in 2012.

3AAA's 2012|2012 commitment was launched at the official opening of the group's newest National IT Partnership (NITP) academy and Accounting Academy Partnership (AAP) in central Milton Keynes, in partnership with Bedford College. The academies were opened by Councillor Alan Richards, Mayor of Milton Keynes, who was joined by Conservative Members of Parliament Mark Lancaster, MP for Milton Keynes North and Ian Aitken Stewart, MP for Milton Keynes South.

Di McEvoy-Robinson, Director, 3aaa, speaking at the launch, said: "With the government's announcement that the unemployment rate in the 16-24 year-old age group is running at a record high of 22.3%, it's essential that organisations such as ours step up and take responsibility for creating new jobs for young people.

"We are combining our experience and expertise in delivering high quality Apprenticeships, with our skills in sourcing capable young people to meet the recruitment requirements of our employer partners. We are creating completely new jobs that give young people a real future and employers a competent new member of their workforce equipped with up-to-date skills for the job.

"This is also our call to employers across the UK to help us realise our commitment of creating 2012 jobs in 2012 to make a real difference to the lives of young people all over the country."
Mark Lancaster, MP for Milton Keynes North, says: "3AAA's commitment to job creation is the kind of innovation and partnership working that we want to encourage from the private sector. It echoes the sentiment of the Prime Minister, who is supportive of all actions that provide a real boost to the wider economy. I am delighted to support this initiative and will be following its progress with interest."

3AAA announced its ambitious 2012|2012 plans as it opened its eleventh National IT Partnership academy and fourth Accounting Academy Partnership. NITP academies provide apprentices with industry recognised IT qualifications, underpinned with the practical and valuable experience secured via employment as an apprentice. AAP academies aim to provide the next generation of Accounting Technicians to feed the demand for young and dynamic qualified professionals through the delivery of the highly regarded Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) qualification.

Printer Regal Litho, based in Bletchley, Bucks, is amongst the first to take up 3AAA's 2012|2012 challenge. This week the company employed 22 year old Matthew Smith from Bletchley as a NITP apprentice. Alan Corkhill, Managing Director, Regal Litho, says: "We are committed to developing the skills of our staff and are delighted to stand up and be counted as one of the first employers in the UK to join 3AAA on its challenge. Young people need all the help they can get and organisations such as 3AAA are taking the lead. It's now up to companies like ours to provide the opportunities for young people to gain real skills and to make a valuable contribution to the wider economy."

3AAA works in partnership with local colleges across the UK to deliver local solutions for young people, employers and adults learning in the workplace. NITP academies are located in Walsall, Tamworth, Bedford, Letchworth, St Albans, Enfield, Portsmouth, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Oxford and Birmingham. Accounting Academy Partnerships locations include Letchworth, Milton Keynes, St Albans and Birmingham with a fifth Academy to open soon in Liverpool.

For details of 3AAA's 2012|2012 campaign and its Apprenticeship academies visit www.3aaa.co.uk

Please see http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Derbyshire/Derby/DE72/News/Local-News/215310-N

_IT’S calculators at the ready as we sum up the jobs on offer in the world of accounting. Each week we bring you the lowdown on the industries that currently have vacancies, letting you know who is recruiting, where the jobs are and what it’s really like working in the sector.

As part of our Get Britain Working campaign we have found 23,044 jobs in accountancy.

And while you may think you need weighty degrees or years of training to get these jobs, the truth is there are openings for all levels.

Mike Day, of the Accounting Academy Partnership, says: “Accountancy is a great career with opportunities to work in so many different fields.”

From full- to part-time college courses, plus on-the-job training, there are options to suit everyone with a head for figures, even school leavers.

And there are a growing number of apprenticeships available. Mike says: “Apprenticeships in accountancy benefit big firms and small firms and enable apprentices to reinforce what they learn in the classroom straight away in the workplace. Everyone wins.”

It’s worth remembering that once you have the training and any relevant qualifications, your earning power can be seriously boosted.

As an accounts clerk, for instance, your starting salary could be around £15,000 a year and with experience you may earn up to £22,000 a year. As a senior clerk you may earn up to £25,000 a year, and potentially £30,000 or more as an accounts manager.

WHERE ARE THE JOBS?

At Jobcentre Plus, www.direct.gov.uk/jobseekers we found 7,787 jobs including 1,976 accounts clerks, 656 debt collectors, and 569 analysts.

These range from a trainee accountant in Manchester (from £11,000) and a data administrator in Leeds (from £14,000) to a data inputter in Portsmouth (£6.50 an hour), a trainee data analyst in Birmingham (from £12,500) and an accounts payable clerk in Kings Lynn (£13,000).

At www.fish4jobs.co.uk we found 876 relevant jobs such as a payroll assistant in Newcastle (£15,000), a purchase ledger clerk in Newmarket (£15,000) and a credit controller in Staffordshire (from £18,000).

At www.reed.co.uk there are 11,924 accountancy jobs made up of 7,445 general jobs and 4,479 for those with qualifications.

Roles include an investment administrator in Newcastle (from £11,000), a part-time credit controller in Droitwich (£11,500), and an assistant management accountant in Norwich (from £18,000).

Other useful agencies include www.hays.co.uk which has 2,457 accountancy jobs such as a finance assistant in Edinburgh (from £18,000).

WORKER'S VIEW

Katie Wells had no idea what she wanted to do when she left school, so she got a job at the local Co-op while she made up her mind.

“I had A-levels in IT and Business and was thinking about going on to their trainee manager programme when I discovered I was pregnant,” says Katie, 21, from Stevenage.

Little Charlie was born and Katie began to feel as if opportunities were slipping away from her.

“I had lost all confidence and felt people viewed me as a stereotypical teenage mum. I knew I wanted to do more than work in a shop and that I still wanted to study, so my dad suggested looking at what apprenticeships might be available.”

After some research, Katie applied for several apprenticeships ranging from IT to business admin, and even accountancy – something she had never even thought about before.

“I thought accountancy would be really hard and involve going to university,” she recalls. “Ironically, it was the first application I heard back from and was invited in for an interview.

“I was terribly nervous but got dressed up and went in with as much confidence as I could possibly gather.”

Just days later she heard that Base 52, a small local firm, was more than happy to take her on. In March last year Katie started her apprenticeship, which involves three days a week at college and two in the office where she gets to put the college theory into practice.

“It has been hard work doing this with a baby, but I have supportive parents who help look after Charlie who is now 22 months old,” Katie says.

Katie has completed levels two and three of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) qualifications and is now working towards gaining her level four diploma, still as part of the apprenticeship.

When she finishes she will be a fully qualified AAT member with valuable commercial experience.

“The apprenticeship has definitely made me feel more confident and better about myself,” she says. “It’s given my son and me the chance of a really good future.

“Maybe at some point I will look into studying further to become a forensic accountant. That would involve working in the area of fraud and money-laundering and preparing evidence for courts.

“I reckon that would be really interesting.”

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Once you’re working as an accounts clerk or any junior accounts job, most of your training will be on the job while you help moreexperienced staff.

Employers may also be able to support you with study for accounting and book-keeping qualifications so you can work your way up the career ladder.

As your experience grows, you could work towards more advanced qualifications such as:

AAT Accounting Qualification (at Level 2 Certificate, Level 3 Diploma and Level 4 Diploma levels). Find out more at www.aat.org.uk

ACCA Foundations in Accountancy Awards, such as the Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) Qualification. www.accaglobal.com.

IAB Level 3 Diploma in Accounting and Advanced Book-keeping or Computerised Accounting. www.iab.org.uk.

ICB Level 3 Diploma in Book-keeping (manual or computerised). www.bookkeepers.org.uk.

CONTACTS

For more on apprenticeships and careers in accounting, visit www.accountingapprenticeships.co.uk.

The Accounting Academy Partnership is part of the Aspire Achieve Advance Group which offers training in accounting, IT and other related sectors.

Visit www.3aaa.co.uk for more details.

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/advice/jobs/2012/01/19/how-to-get-a-job-in-accountancy-115875-23706272/#ixzz1jtX6lvQc

_Another illustration of the success of our IT programmes is that of Scott Wright, a learner with our Walsall Academy.

Scott joined our programmes in September 2010 and graduated in April 2011. We found Scott employment during his apprenticeship and Scott has now gone on to establish his own business.

This is Scott’s explanation of his journey  ‘NiTP has given me the hands on experience to pursue a career in what I love doing, IT. It introduced me into the working world with beneficial qualifications. Since finishing my NiTP course in April 2011, I worked with the Black Country Chambers of Commerce developing a comparison website in partnership with Black Country Training Providers.

In October 2011 I decided to start my own IT Company, I gained a contract with a project running at Walsall College, ‘The Young People In-Company Innovation Programme’. During my time on the project I mentored the students and ran individual IT projects.

Now… I’m a director of Scott Wright IT Services, recently opened up a new office in Birmingham City Centre and enjoying watching the company grow and expand into different markets. We have recently secured a contract with an American company to distribute software in the UK. I would say in the next couple of months I will be taking an NiTP apprentice for my company!

Never did I think I would start a student and end at Walsall College being a member of staff, and later starting my own business. Could I have done it without NiTP? No!’


Scott is just one example of many students who have successfully progressed through our NITP academy, we have gained them work and have developed successful careers. We are delighted with the apprenticeship programmes we offer

If you are interested in attending a course with NITP, contact us via the web site www.nitp.co.uk

__Out of work for 18 months and forced to live at the YMCA, Aaron Weatherley was convinced he’d lost his way.

But in less than a year, Aaron, 20, has begun a fantastic career, is on track to get an IT apprenticeship and has found his own place to live.

“From being at rock bottom with no confidence I now feel amazing,” he says.
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And his job as a media server technician for XL Video – a company that hires out audio/visual equipment for events and shows – means he’ll be on the road, working on everything from concerts to fashion shows this summer.

“I can see a future in front of me – and it’s brilliant,” says Aaron. “I’d always been interested in IT and after my GCSEs I got a job at a school where my dad worked as an IT technician. I often felt out of my depth but I stuck it out for a year.

“From then on I struggled to find any direction, let alone a job. There was nothing out there. Companies either wanted qualifications or experience and I had neither.”

Aaron also had to leave home and eventually found a room at a YMCA where he survived on £25 a week.

“I felt displaced and people often assume if you’re at the YMCA you’re not really interested in getting a job.”

During one visit to Jobcentre Plus, Aaron, from Watford, asked about apprenticeships.

“I’d heard so much about them but didn’t know a lot,” he says. “I was 19 and thought I might be too old.”

His adviser told him that they were available for people of all ages and there was one place left on a scheme in IT, software, web and telecoms.

“The only down side was that the interview was on Monday morning,” Aaron recalls. “I had the weekend to worry about it but then went for it, all suited and booted.”

At 5pm the same night he was offered a college place on the scheme. “Looking back, I think I was in shock,” he says.

Days later he started the course, which took him through the basics of IT from maintenance to programming.

“Part of the scheme was to get job placements,” says Aaron. “So only a few weeks in I went for my first interview.

“I would never have considered video and audio work as a career before but at the interview it became obvious that because of a love of music I had some of the skills needed.” He was taken on almost instantly.

Aaron is now working his way through various departments such as rigging and production to prepare him for hitting the road.

“If it wasn’t for this course I wouldn’t be where I am today,” he says. “The number of years I’ve spent trying to find work... And in less than a year I’ve completely turned my life around. It can’t get any better.”

Getting started

AARON’S apprenticeship was through the National IT Partnership (NiTP). It is part of Aspire Achieve Advance Group – a training provider that runs a rigorous job creation programme.

It is currently looking to fill 150 further apprentice posts in IT, accounting and property.

“These are not existing jobs that we are helping to fill,” said Di McEvoy-Robinson, director of Aspire Achieve Advance. “They are exciting new jobs we are generating by outlining the business benefits of apprenticeships to employers.

“Aaron’s apprenticeship involved an intensive programme of study and work-place training, where what he learnt in the classroom could instantly be applied in the working environment.

“Our apprenticeships are ideal for many young people who are often choosing this route to employment rather than going to university.”

Visit www.3aaa.co.uk for more information. Find out more about NiPT at www.nitp.co.uk or call 0844 504 3174.

There are a number of ways to get into the IT industry and e-skills UK, www.e-skills.com, has a range of programmes to support you, whatever your age or ability.

Your first port of call should be Big Ambition, www.bigambition.co.uk. It highlights what’s going on in the industry and where to start looking for training advice and jobs.

Talk to the Jobcentre, www.direct.gov.uk/employment, about whether there are other organisations that could help.

One such organisation is Working Links. Call 0800 917 9262 or visit www.workinglinks.co.uk for more information.

Aaron's top tips

-TRY not let things get on top of you.

-DON’T get stuck into a rut of job searching. Try new places if you can and think about what other jobs might suit you.

-ACCEPT that your confidence will take a battering but try to hold on

-TAKE all the training you’re offered. You never know when it will come in handy.

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/advice/jobs/2012/01/12/get-your-life-back-on-track-with-an-apprenticeship-115875-23694978/#ixzz1jcBBmdlf

_“ We are delighted to announce the appointment of a Group Managing Director to Aspire Achieve Advance Ltd. Keith Holmes will join the business and take on this exciting new leadership role from 1st November. With the growth of our apprenticeship academies and the increasing number of our clients demanding adult apprenticeship training we are strengthening our senior team with a Group Managing Director role. Keith has been operating in senior roles for Protocol Education, Select Education, Adecco and Pertemps. He brings a wealth of experience and professionalism to Aspire Achieve Advance Ltd and will take on a leadership role across our academies and Adult skills. He will be spending time out and about meeting clients, employers, college partners and our own staff and students over the next few weeks.  He is very much looking forward to joining the business and brings enthusiasm and commitment to help the business in its’ next phase.”

The Directors and Chairman of Aspire Achieve Advance Ltd.

Keith says: “ I am very much looking  forward to working with everyone at 3As and helping to deliver quality apprenticeships and training for all of our colleges and clients. 3As is an exciting and fast moving business, evidenced by its’ growth and strategic relationships with key partners. I intend to continue to drive for high quality performance across the business and continue the successful relationships with Colleges and employers.”

_3AAA is delighted to announce that we have recently completed a further consultancy project for a large college in England, focussed on business development and workbased learning. Delivered personally by Di McEvoy – Robinson and Peter Marples, this project is leading to significant further work and the development of new methods of working for the sector.

Di commented ‘ our College partners are looking at ways of doing things differently. There is no doubt there are significant opportunities to engage with employers of all sizes, but the sector needs to respond differently to capitalise on these new opportunities. We are now working on the next stage of this project – an added benefit is that all of the consultancy fees go straight into our bursary scheme for young people’

_With the recently announced statistic that over 20% of young people are not in employment, education or training, 3AAA is delighted that over the past twelve months we have sourced over 750 new jobs for our apprentices in our academies

Our innovative model, which matches learners to job opportunities that our employment advisors have identified through on going dialogue with employers is paying real dividends.

Peter Marples, director at 3AAA commented ‘ these are all new jobs – we have achieved commitment from employers to look at new employment strategies, with apprenticeships being at the forefront of this approach. We are delighted in these difficult economic times that we have been able to generate so many job opportunities for young people and to get them on their career ladder. Our objective is to more than double the number of jobs we generate in the next 12 months – 2000 is our objective and we are investing approaching £1m in our teams to do just that !.’