AAT Level 2 Accounts/Finance Assistant Apprenticeship

Please note that to undertake this apprenticeship you must be employed within a suitable role. Typical job titles may include Assistant Bookkeeper, Data Input Clerk and Finance Administrator.

As an Accounts/Finance Assistant apprentice, you will be employed in a finance role gaining vital practical skills and experience, and earning a wage alongside studying your formal AAT apprenticeship qualification.

You will likely assist with activities such as basic bookkeeping activities, working with sales and purchase ledgers, running calculations to ensure records and payments are correct, recording cash and data entry.

CAW Business School has a well-earned reputation for excellence; delivering quality training and education and employer support. As an apprentice you will benefit from:

Tuition, support and assessment provided in college, online and via email and telephone contact
Access to our unique Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and extensive eLibrary resources

Key Facts

Attendance: Half-day classes or blended learning. If you undertake classroom sessions (rather than online blended learning), your day at college will consist of taught lessons in the morning, followed by tutor supported study time in the afternoon.
Duration: 12-14 months (a minimum of six hours per week must be spent undertaking off-the-job training).
Next start dates: Apprentices can start at any time and join the next available classroom session.
Location: Huntingdon or blended learning.

Course delivery details:

Location	Attendance Options	Day	Time
Huntingdon	Half-day release (am)	Wednesdays	9:15am-1pm
Blended Learning	No college attendance required, start at any time	n/a	n/a

Entry Requirements

There are no formal academic entry requirements to undertake the Intermediate Apprenticeship in Accounting. However you should be competent in basic maths and English. You will need to be living and working in England in a suitable finance role, earning at least the National Minimum Wage for Apprentices.

To complete this apprenticeship within 12-14 months you will need to be working for a minimum of 30 hours per week, if you are working less than 30 hours a week the length of your apprenticeship will be extended depending on your working hours.

If you have a level 2 (or above) qualification in a similar subject you may not be able to undertake this apprenticeship, in which case you may wish to undertake the AAT Level 2 Foundation Certificate in Accounting as a standalone qualification.

International qualifications

Students with foreign qualifications are required to have their certificates translated using a UK ENIC Statement to confirm if they have previously achieved Level 2 English and Level 2 maths for their apprenticeship. If a student has not previously achieved this, they will need to complete Functional Skills English and/or maths as part of their apprenticeship. More information about how to apply, how it works and prices can be found on the UK ENIC’s website here.

Course Content

This apprenticeship consists of the knowledge, skills and behaviours required by someone in an Accounts/Finance Assistant role to develop the required finance skills and enhance professional status.

The professional qualification, Level 2 AAT Foundation Certificate in Accounting, will also be undertaken.

Knowledge

The knowledge gained will provide the opportunity to improve both accounting skills and business awareness:

General Business
Understanding Your Organisation
Accounting Systems & Processes
Basic Accounting
Ethical Standards

Skills

Transferrable skills will be gained to provide the confidence for the knowledge to be applied:

Attention to Detail
Communication
Uses Systems and Processes
Personal Effectiveness

Behaviours

Attitude and behaviours covered will provide the opportunity to learn what is required for occupational competence:

Team Work
Personal Development
Professionalism
Customer Focus

Assessment

An End Point Assessment will be required to achieve the apprenticeship. This consists of the following:

Structured interview - An independently assessed discussion which will be supported by a portfolio of evidence summary

In-tray test – A computer based test lasting 105 minutes which will consist of a combination of questions and data evaluations covering knowledge and skills of accounting systems and processes, basic accounting, attention to detail.

For the AAT Level 2 Foundation Certificate in Accounting that is included within this apprenticeship computer based exams or projects will be undertaken. As we are an AAT accredited exam centre these exams can be taken at College without the need to travel to an external exam centre.

Unless exempt Level 2 Functional Skills are assessed via online examinations and practical assessments.

Course Fees

Apprenticeship course fees are payable by the employer. Fees are dependent upon the size of the organisation you are employed in as this will impact if your employer is a levy payer, or a non-levy payer.

Course fees for Apprenticeship Levy Payers

Levy payers in England will pay the full apprenticeship amount of £6,000 using their digital account.

Course fees for Non-Levy Payers

Non-levy paying employers in England are required to contribute 5% (£300 in one payment) towards the cost of the apprenticeship provided they use their digital account to process the claim for 95% funding available.

Fees are fully inclusive of End Point Assessment (EPA) fees, however, if a student needs to re-sit an exam, re-sit fees will be payable. In addition, payment for AAT membership, exam fees (approximately £424*) and textbooks will also be required.

Before making any financial decision it is recommended that you seek advice from an independent source, for example the Money Advice Service.

These are current figures and may be subject to change. The differences in course fees reflect the level of funding that is available as a result of government policies and priorities. These may be as a result of age, employment status, previous education achievements, or location for example, and are outside the control of CAW Business School.

What Next?

On completion of the AAT Level 2 Accounts/Finance Assistant Apprenticeship, many learners choose to continue their journey towards becoming an AAT qualified Accounting Technician. You may wish to undertake the AAT Level 3 Assistant Accountant Apprenticeship or AAT Level 3 Advanced Diploma in Accounting.

Testimonials

What our AAT students say…

We asked our students what aspects of their AAT course they have most enjoyed. Here are some of the things they had to say!

“Learning new skills, socialising with people within a similar field of work and with similar goals”
“I have really enjoyed the classes and follow up activities for homework. The resources are very good”
“Manageable sections. Broken down so not overloaded with information”
“Good tutor making a hard subject easy to understand with good examples”