Business Apprentice Review

I work on a number of clients in the government and public sector, including councils, the NHS and universities, and perform work which contributes to the overall audit. I take part in formal team meetings with my colleagues and with clients, as well as informal meetings with my peer group.

I have worked on my teamwork skills, as there is a great amount of collaboration with my colleagues. As well as this, I've developed my communication skills with clients, allowing me to created positive relations with them. We do a number of training courses, which means I'm constantly developing my professional skills

I enjoy the programme as I am able to complete work that will contribute to the audit, rather than just 'simulated' work. The company culture is great, and I get on well with my team. As I work in a small team, this is likely easier than if I was working in a larger office.

The programme is well structured, as we are told what is expected of us, and we have a database which tells us when our study time/exams will be. There is a great support network, as we have 'counsellors' and 'buddies', who we can ask for help with non audit related questions, i.e. questions about exams/admin

I've received a good amount of support from the teams at EY, including my counsellor and apprenticeship coach. The HR and exam teams can be difficult to reach, however this is something that we have brought up internally and will be worked on. People are very helpful, and rarely turn you down if you need help.

There is a lot of support from Kaplan, as we can contact tutors outside of study hours if we need extra guidance. I am enjoying the qualification so far, as the tutors so far have been friendly and approachable, albeit in a virtual setting, rather than lessons in a classroom.

My first week starting at EY was study for my qualification, which introduced me to most of the basic accounting. This made it easier to start audit work as I knew the theory behind it. I do feel that some more of the qualification should be done at the start, as this would help further with audit work.

At EY we have 'families' - teams of around 40 people who meet up every few months for an in-work social event (currently virtually). These are mandatory, however some people within the team often organize an activity to do during the day. Some teams also do Friday drinks after work, as well as other out of work social events.

Yes

I think the company culture is great, and there is a good amount of support offered. There is also clear career progression an EY, which is a goal for many people. There are opportunities to work with various clients, allowing you to build your portfolio early on, and gaining a lot of experience.

The application process was quite straightforward, with some online tests, progressing to an 'Assessment Centre Day' and then an interview. Mine was all completed virtually, however it was still an enjoyable process. I would have liked to have been told that I don't need prior work experience or an accounting background to join the company, as this was one thing that worried me when applying for jobs after sixth form