The apprenticeship is ideal because you get the work experience while you’re studying, and I learn best by doing.
Why the apprenticeship?
Elena was drawn to the apprenticeship because it combines exams with day-to-day experience. Even after just one exam, she’s already noticed how much easier it is to understand the profession when the learning is happening alongside the job.
“It helps you get a grip of the vocabulary. If you’d gone straight into the job without the qualification at the same time, it would be quite difficult.”
Having not studied accounting at school or university, that built-in structure mattered. The apprenticeship provides her with a more supported pathway into a technical profession and the confidence to learn quickly without feeling thrown in at the deep end.
If you didn’t study accounting before, being thrown into the terminology can feel daunting, so learning it alongside the job really helps.
Choosing the ACA
Elena studied economics, and her route into accountancy became clearer through work experience. A sales internship helped her realise she preferred the “back office” side of work, tracking, researching and analysing information, rather than customer-facing responsibilities.
“I realised I liked the spreadsheets, the data, the research… being able to look at lots of information and then present it.”
When it came to choosing between accountancy qualifications, the ACA stood out for its reputation and its breadth. Elena found that it equips students with multiple skills and allowing room to explore interests rather than following a completely prescribed path.
For me, it was the reputation of the ACA and the fact it equips you with multiple skills.
Flexibility, exams and support
Elena values the flexibility of Certificate Level exam study: “I did the first one self-paced, and now I’m doing live classes. It’s been interesting and the flexibility is really good.”
As part of the apprenticeship, Elena has study hours allocated each week, with additional flexibility when an exam is more challenging.
We have specific hours each week for study leave and it’s flexible depending on what you need.
She also describes the reassurance of working around people who understand the pressure, because many colleagues have either completed the ACA or followed similar pathways.
“It feels like a community, they know what it’s like to be in your position.”
A different kind of learning curve
Compared with university, Elena says the biggest shift is pace. The apprenticeship is more compressed than her degree was - learning, working and revising all at once, but that intensity is balanced by relevance.
“It feels more engaging than university sometimes, because it’s literally what you’re doing at work.”
She also appreciates the structured nature of ACA learning: clear workbooks, guided questions and defined progress.
It’s rapid compared to university, but it’s more engaging because it’s directly relevant.
Building confidence and key skills
Since starting, Elena says she’s developed two key skills: being more proactive about asking for help and building self-discipline.
The self-paced learning experience also pushed her to use support systems independently, including online tutor forums where questions can be answered quickly, with a record she can revisit later.
“If I have a deadline, that incentivises me to work. If you keep pushing things back, it’s easier to get sucked into work and lose momentum.”
Looking ahead
Elena is realistic about the future: higher levels will be more demanding, and work responsibilities will grow as rotations change. But she feels confident in her ability to communicate when things get intense.
Even if it gets challenging, I know I’m in a supportive environment and that won’t be a problem.
Post-qualification, Elena may explore opportunities to move into work aligned with values-led organisations, such as non-profits or B Corps, inspired by the emphasis the ACA places on ethics.
Advice to new apprenticeship students
Elena’s advice is grounded in self-belief and perspective. She encourages new students to remember why they were accepted and see the qualification as something they’re doing for their own future.
Trust yourself. You’re in this programme for a reason.
She also stresses that it’s a journey, and to not be afraid of not getting it right all the time.
“You may have setbacks, but that’s okay. You don’t need to know everything perfectly to take the exam.”
