“I studied the Level 3 AAT apprenticeship while being in the finance department. Studying and working at the same time allowed me to save for a house and improve my skills at the same time.
“My apprenticeship was for 18 months but was extended to two years due to COVID 19 the impact this had on studying. I enjoyed learning the different subjects and how they linked to my work with my employee. Out of all the subjects and tasks my portfolio was the most enjoyable as I had tasks to meet and could organise this to look very appealing in the interview I had to have at the end.
“I have since finished my apprenticeship and qualification and I was given a full-time role with my employer. When I was studying with Northern Skills it was exciting and sometimes there were challenges, but I was supported through each and every one.
“The quality of teaching was high, and this was also shown when studying from home. Tutors care about your qualification but also on a personal level. They are kind and understanding on a personal and professional level. They also help with the transition in a lot of cases with students who are starting work for the first time in in a very professional environment such as I did.
“The skills I have gained and developed throughout my apprenticeship have benefited my career already and will do in the future. This is because the skills I have improved in my apprenticeship have gained me the new full-time role with my employer and have set the foundation for my skill development in the future.
“While studying at Northern Skills I had a few challenges to tackle. Firstly, they discovered I had very mild dyslexia which was something I needed to deal with when it come to exams. As it took me longer to process the information, I was starting to fail my exams because I did not have the correct support in place. However, when this was discovered my tutor and Northern Skills put a huge amount of support in place and gave me a lot of time.
“This is something I will always appreciate as without this I would not be in the position I am in now. Having overcome this challenge I then went on to get 100% in my portfolio which was an amazing achievement. I would have not achieved this without the support of my tutor.”
Apprenticeship Standard: Level 3 Apprenticeship in AAT