Employers. Break with tradition by offering professional services apprenticeships A GUIDE FOR

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1 Employers A GUIDE FOR Break with tradition by offering professional services apprenticeships Apprenticeships have existed in Britain for over 650 years, as a way to train people in new skills, while providing paid work experience. Traditionally, apprentices have worked in industries such as manufacturing - but in early 2012, a group of 40 employers in the professional services sector, large and small, came together with Professional bodies to design the content of the new Professional Services Higher Apprenticeship (PSHA). 1

2 WHY DEVELOP A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES HIGHER APPRENTICESHIP? Many employers in the professional services sector believe higher apprenticeships will help them access the talent they need to grow and enlarge the pool from which businesses can recruit. The typical tax professional or accountant grows up in a family that is better off than three out of four UK families so there is a risk that lack of diversity will hamper providing services to an increasingly diverse client base. Higher apprenticeships also allow businesses to tap into talent that may not be represented by traditional recruitment routes, whilst encouraging social mobility. WHY SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO HIRE A HIGHER APPRENTICE? Over 80% of those employers who employ apprentices agree they make their workplace more productive. 81% of consumers favour using a company which takes on apprentices. Employers who take on a year old apprentice only pay their salary. The Government will fund their training. 92% of employers who employ apprentices believe that apprenticeships lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce. 83% of employers who employ apprentices rely on their apprenticeship programmes to provide the skilled workers that they need for the future. One in five employers is hiring more apprentices to help them through the tough economic climate. (Statistics: National Apprenticeship Service; Populus, February 2009; Ambition 2020;UKCES, September 2009.) 2

3 WHAT DOES THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES HIGHER APPRENTICESHIP LOOK LIKE? The PSHA has pathways in tax, audit and consulting at level 4 (equivalent to first level higher education). Each is composed of three elements: Technical knowledge: Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) qualification for taxation; Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales (ICAEW s) Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business (CFAB) qualification for the audit pathway; and, Certificate in Management Consulting, a new theory qualification for management consulting. Practice: demonstrating competence in tax / audit / consulting methods and tools, and regulatory and technical updates. Business skills: demonstrating competence in managing performance, business and commercial awareness, and communication skills. A follow-on higher apprenticeship at level 7 (equivalent to Master s degree) is being developed and will be ready for use in COMPONENT Association of Taxation Technicians qualification Tax Practice Business skills WHAT IS THIS? A recognised standard in the industry, and a potential stepping stone to Chartered Tax Adviser status A recognition of vocational competence: the practical application of audit skills A recognition of competence in the wider business skills required to be a productive employee UNITS Personal taxation Business taxation & accounting principles OPTIONS: Business compliance Corporate taxation IHT, Trusts & estates VAT Professional responsibilities & ethics Law Application of technical knowledge from the ATT examined modules Application of employers individual approaches and methologies to tax work Understanding of the importance of keeping up to date with regulatory and technical updates, and regularly doing so Managing own performance Communication skills Effective meetings Commercial awareness Internal financial management ASSESSMENT Examination papers set and assessed by the ATT Demonstrated through the successful completion of work-based tasks: Apprentices will build a portfolio of evidence of their competence for assessment 3

4 HEAR FROM A HIGHER APPRENTICE GIDEON CALLER Over two years ago, I completed my A-levels studying history economics and politics. I was going to go to university, like the rest of the country, to study for a finance degree. I then decided that university was not me and I thought; why not apply to firms in professional services? I saw this opportunity and thought why not! I think higher apprenticeship programmes in professional services are so attractive for so many reasons. You are able to earn a competitive salary, work towards a professional qualification, and more importantly gain work experience in the leading firms in professional services. My greatest piece of advice for budding higher apprentices would be - don t be afraid to break the status quo of going to university. This is a real opportunity to get on the job ladder quickly in the professional services business and take advantage of the many opportunities which it provides. CHARLOTTE CLIBBENS Before becoming a higher apprentice, I passed my A-levels in business studies, maths and further maths. I then decided that I did not want to go to university so I looked at what was available and joined a firm offering a higher apprenticeship. I chose the higher apprenticeship programme because I thought that it would give me the opportunity to get my foot in the door at a company and allow me to study as well as get experience in a work environment. The highlight of my experience so far is working as part of a team. I find it very beneficial to work around others in a professional environment. Once I finish my higher apprenticeship, I hope to move around the firm and may travel abroad. By gaining the ATT qualification, I will have the opportunity to move around departments and also to move around internationally. LUKE CONSTABLE Before I became a higher apprentice, I was studying for A-levels. I did apply to university to keep my options open but when the opportunity arose to become a higher apprentice, I couldn t really turn it down. For me, the main appeal of being a higher apprentice in professional services was the balance that I get between on the job experience and becoming qualified. The highlight of the experience so far has been the versatility of the day to day work that I ve been doing. Obviously, I ve been sitting at my desk in an office doing lots of hard work but that s mixed with going offsite and meeting more senior people and a whole different diverse group of people. When I finish my higher apprenticeship, I will consider the options that will then be open to me. 4

5 HEAR FROM AN EMPLOYER companies can play a greater role in the apprentice s development. Although we identified and recruited our own apprentice, our training provider would have found apprentices for us to interview. MCEWAN WALLACE McEwan Wallace is a firm of chartered accountants based in Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside. The firm has four partners and together with its sister Wealth Management and Payroll companies employs 60 staff. The client base is a mix of owner-managed companies, professional practices and high net worth individuals. We provide the usual range of audit and accountancy services. We also have a significant amount of corporate finance work and this often involves a large element of tax advice. The firm is organised into two departments audit/accounts and tax. The tax department comprises eight people. PAUL COCHRANE PARTNER I am a chartered accountant and have been a partner with McEwan Wallace for over 20 years. I have been the firm s Staff Partner during that period. I am also Deputy President of the Liverpool Society of Chartered Accountants. I trained with Grant Thornton and spent four years as a manager with KPMG before joining McEwan Wallace. As an employer what do you think you can gain from hiring an apprentice? Training is an integral part in preparing staff to work in a professional office. We recruit one tax trainee each year. To date, our policy has been to recruit graduate trainees. Each trainee is provided with a training contract, initially to study to become members of the Association of Taxation Technicians, with a view to progress to the Chartered Institute of Taxation exams. I see the training contract as being similar to an apprenticeship; the structured approach provides a formal commitment from both trainee and the employer. The main difference with an apprenticeship is that external training What do you think are the differences between apprenticeships, graduate and other recruitment channels? This is the first year that we have recruited an apprentice tax trainee. As mentioned, we previously only recruited graduates. This contrasts with our audit trainees where we moved away from graduate recruitment some years ago. We seek to recruit bright A level students, those who would quite possibly have the option to go to university but instead have chosen to work and study. Would the time spent pursuing a degree increase a trainee s ability to not only pass the exams but also become very quickly an effective member of staff? Well, time will tell. What do you feel are the specific benefits to the apprenticeship recruitment channel? It enables us to offer a structured development programme to trainees. This provides candidates with the confidence that they are embarking on a worthwhile career. We are in competition for the best candidates with the national accountancy firms and to an extent the apprenticeship programme helps provide a level playing field. One other benefit is obviously the financial assistance provided towards training costs. In your opinion, what is the unique selling point of this specific higher apprenticeship programme? The programme isn t a one-off initiative. It is a scheme with widespread national support and if we find it to be a success this year we will be able to participate again in future years. It will become an integral part of our student recruitment and development. Would you recommend the higher apprenticeship programme to other employers? We have yet to get through our first year but I would certainly recommend employers explore this as an option. 5

6 HEAR FROM AN EMPLOYER but an early interest in the direction they wish to follow and an ability to follow their learning through on-the-job training and contact with the training provider. FULLSTOP ACCOUNTS LAUREN HARVEY - DIRECTOR We are a small practice which started out in January 2011 after moving to Cardiff. Previously I had always worked in industry and did my training there too. We opened after a number of people were looking for in-house finance functions without the investment this involves. Depending on the client we now provide a full stop accounting service from bookkeeping and/ or in-house systems advice along to management accounts and then ending with (but not limited to) financial statements and tax returns. As an employer, what do you think you can gain from hiring an apprentice? Currently, being small, we appreciate the value of well trained staff but we really need value for money we are looking for someone who is driven towards their future, and in return for helping them with our knowledge and experience we get a committed individual who can help drive our business forward. What do you think are the differences between apprenticeships, graduate and other recruitment channels? Having been on a graduate training scheme myself I know first-hand that these, along with apprenticeships, are great introductions to business (and part of the reason we want to offer an apprenticeship). However, you pay a premium for [graduates ] university experience and yet they can have little real world experience and more importantly have only university experience which may not directly be of benefit to the organisation. For us in particular, we are prepared to take on an apprentice with a lesser education What do you feel are the specific benefits to the apprenticeship recruitment channel? Any employer dreads finding the wrong person, yet between the ATT, training providers and the Government there appears to be plenty of support to make sure you get the right person without the usual expense of recruitment agencies etc. In your opinion, what is the unique selling point of this specific higher apprenticeship programme? For us it is all about the tax education at its core rather than other programmes with accounting at their core we have plenty of accounting experience and would value more tax experience in house so it really will be great to have a tax studier on board to keep us on our toes with all the latest legislation! Would you recommend the higher apprenticeship programme to other employers? Yes, I would and it has been interesting when talking to people, they think it s a great thing that our company wants to offer apprenticeships as opposed to other types of employment whether it is the economic climate or the media with its constant youth unemployment stats. But it definitely seems to be something people are interested in and they are impressed that a small company is considering it so win-win all round! 6

7 WHAT DO I DO NEXT? Talk to us Visit the ATT website or contact us: higherapprenticeship@att.org.uk. Talk to the National Apprenticeship Service Visit for more information about apprenticeships and the support you can access from the Government. Talk to your training provider if you have one Your training provider will help you to consider how you can embrace the Professional Services Higher Apprenticeship Programme in your organisation. If you do not have a training provider the ATT website gives you details of the ones that provide the Tax Qualification. 7

8 GENERAL INFO The Association of Taxation Technicians 1 st Floor Artillery House Artillery Row London SW1P 1RT Tel: / Fax: / on A company limited by guarantee. Registered office as adjacent. Registered as a charity Number Company registration number VAT registration number