Finance and Commercial Academy Apprentice Review

I am currently working in a financial accounting role. Day-to-day this involves: generating reports with financial and non-financial information for various businesses, preparing journals, data analysis, raising invoices and purchase orders. Part of my role is also giving access to employees to different parts of the accounting systems and reviewing this. This year I am involved in part the internal auditing process. An example of a job I do is I may be given a list of invoices and lots of data - my job involves analysing this to make it useful to interpret for businesses. I regularly use accounting systems and look at Balance Sheets, Cost Centres and invoices.

My IT skills have improved hugely since beginning the apprenticeship. I regularly use the accounting software, navigate various websites and I use Microsoft office every day. My excel skills have improved the most. I went from almost zero knowledge to highly skilled very quickly, since my placement relies on excel for data analysis so much. I have specifically been on training courses for excel skills (2 days) and business writing (1 day) and there are others included in the apprenticeship that I am yet to complete. I have also completed some Finance trainings that are specific to Siemens and are very useful. They help with the day-to-day job and go along side my CIMA studies too. I have also had the chance to attend some Diversity and Inclusion training by the employer. My communication skills have improved too since I have been working from home for the entirety of the apprenticeship so far (due to COVID). I have been using Microsoft Teams to communicate with my colleagues, but I have also had opportunity to use WebEx, Google Meet, Circuit and various other virtual meeting platforms. This has also improved my flexibility and adaptability when working.

I am enjoying the program a lot at the moment. When I first joined I was overwhelmed - I was thrown in at the deep end and nothing from school could have prepared me for it! Getting used to working full time, especially working from home, was a real challenge. It took a lot of determination and hard work to keep up at first, but now I have been on the scheme for just over 7 months, I have settled in well. The work is interesting and despite working remotely I feel well supported by Siemens. I enjoy my studying the most - this is the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) Qualification. On this apprenticeship we receive study leave for our exams and this has helped me to progress through the certificate level at a fast pace. I have not had chance to meet many people in person, but Siemens have arranged virtual events for me to meet the other Apprentices.

Kaplan - the training provider - arrange a review call with you every 6 weeks. This helps you to keep track of the skills you are learning and any off the job training that you complete. Siemens - the scheme is a 3-year rotational programme, meaning you move to different roles each year. This is the main structure for the scheme. CIMA - this qualification has four levels and as you progress through each you receive a pay increase.

I get lots of support. The study leave supports me through my revision which is really helpful because it is difficult to find the time when you're working. I have regular calls with my manager, once per week as a group of members of the scheme to check up on things and keep us informed. Around every 6 months we have review calls to make sure our progress and learning is maintained.

I get lots of support. Kaplan provide you with a 'Talent Coach' - this is a person who looks after you from the Kaplan side. They arrange a review call every 6 weeks to check up on your progress through the apprenticeship and CIMA Qualification. They make sure you are focused towards your exams and are there to support you if needed. They also check on your off the job training, knowledge skills and behaviours and exam progress. In studying with Kaplan, they have a very flexible way of working. You can learn On demand, Live Online, or in person. My experiences of On demand and live online have been excellent .

My CIMA studies directly relate to the work I do in Financial Accounting. The overview of business that i studied in BA4 (Fundamentals of Ethics, Corporate Governance and Business Law) and BA1 (Fundamentals of Business Economics) were a great foundation for me to learn from with real work experience. BA2 (Fundamentals of Management Accounting) has been the most relevant to my current role in financial accounting.

Yes - I have taken part in virtual events such as a 'Calm your mind with Mindfulness' Webinar and a social afternoon event where i met other members of the scheme. Here we had talks from the various Siemens Companies and had a virtual takeaway together. Even through i have been working remotely I have felt well supported and part of the Siemens Community.

Yes

The company itself is very interesting. I find the innovation and engineering side very insightful - all the different products and services interest me. The Finance and Commercial Academy Scheme itself has lots of benefits - the study leave allowance and training opportunities have really helped my development early on in my career. Adding to this, the support I have received has been excellent despite the challenging circumstances of starting the apprenticeship working from home.

The application process is what convinced me to go down the apprenticeship route instead of going to university. My advice would be to do your research and learn a little about finance and CIMA, and about the company - that's the best way to feel inspired and motivated for your interview/presentation. I didn't take part in a group assessment day due to COVID-19, so my experience was a wholly virtual one. Keep a positive mindset.