Apprenticeship

Assistant accountant (level 3)

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Information about Assistant accountant (level 3)

Carry out routine financial activities and support for businesses and organisations of all types and sizes

• Knowledge, skills and behaviours:
  View knowledge, skills and behaviours

  Knowledge

  • Principles of financial accounting, adjustment, and reporting, including the calculation and input of accruals and prepayments, maintenance of the fixed asset register, accounting for asset purchase and disposal, depreciation, and financing.
  • Principles of management accounting, for example, the principles of provision of costings, awareness of monthly and rolling forecasting, and including the principles of financial planning, the calculation of income and expenditure budgets, budget holder sign off, and the investigation and reporting of variances to budgets.
  • Principles of creating and maintaining financial records, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash management, and principles of payroll.
  • Fundamentals of potential vulnerabilities within systems of financial control, such as internal fraud and money laundering.
  • Fundamentals of indirect taxation, including approaches to completing indirect tax returns and supporting documentation and records.
  • Fundamentals of digital financial and accounting packages and applications, including the maintenance of key databases, spreadsheets, data analytics, and the appropriate use of data to provide information.
  • Principles of cybersecurity and working safely online within a finance and accounting context.
  • Principles of data security and legislative requirements regarding data handling in a financial and accounting context.
  • Approaches to diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness, and their impact on finance and accountancy.
  • The role of accountancy or finance within the organisational business strategy.
  • The wider financial and accounting professional landscape, including the requirement to stay abreast of changes in technology and practice, and an awareness of the role of regulators and professional bodies.
  • The principles of professional ethics and codes of conduct in a finance and accounting environment.

  Skills

  • Assist with the investigation of, and response to, financial information queries.
  • Record and analyse financial data using the organisation’s standard tools and processes.
  • Apply double entry bookkeeping and accounting standards to process financial documents, generate financial statements, and report financial information to users of accounts.
  • Assist with production of accurate financial information for the preparation of accounts.
  • Reconcile financial data, such as preparation of reconciliations or review of reconciliations.
  • Investigate, resolve, or escalate transactional queries and errors within their remit as appropriate.
  • Develop and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders.
  • Communicate financial information in a way that non-finance stakeholders can interpret and understand.
  • Utilise digital skills to present key financial information using finance and accounting software and applications.
  • Use software packages to assist with basic accounting tasks in line with cyber and data security requirements, using data securely and safely, including backing up data.
  • Communicate using a range of approaches and media, with an understanding of the risks and benefits to the business of social media and other digital applications.

  Behaviours

  • Collaborative and inclusive – builds strong collaborative working relationships, recognising the importance of diversity and inclusion.
  • Ethical and professional – applies a transparent, objective, and sustainable approach to meet the ethical requirements of the profession.
  • Organised with an attention to detail – organises work efficiently and effectively to meet required targets, escalating queries or problems as appropriate. Demonstrates a professional approach to working to deadlines.
  • Embraces change – readily accepts changing priorities and work requirements, and has the flexibility to maintain high standards in a changing environment.
  • Engages with wider stakeholders and keeps up to date with changes in the finance industry that impact their organisation or role.
  • Wellbeing and resilience – demonstrates a commitment to personal wellbeing and an awareness of available support and resources, contributing to cultivating an open, honest, and empathetic work environment.
  • Professional judgement – applies a critical eye to transactions and trends for reasonableness, demonstrating a ‘right first time approach’.
  • Carries out the duties of their role in line with sustainability good practice, whether specific to their occupation or externally recognised. For example, by prioritising practices in their work that contribute to minimising or reversing climate change, such as reducing the use of non-renewable resources.
• Training category (sector): Legal, finance and accounting
• Training level: 3; Equal to A level
• Course duration: 15 months
• Maximum funding: £12,000 ; Maximum government funding for ; apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
• Job titles include:
  • Accounting technician
  • Accounts clerk
  • Assistant accountant
  • Assistant cashier
  • Bookkeeper
  • Finance assistant
  • Purchase ledger clerk
  • Sales ledger clerk

View more information about Assistant accountant (level 3) from Skills England.