National Apprenticeship Week | Life after my apprenticeship

What apprenticeship did you undertake at Langham Hall and how long did it take to complete?

Whilst at Langham Hall I completed my AAT level three, which is a diploma in accounting. The course took 18 months to complete and included six exams alongside weekly coursework. Once completed I qualified for an AAT bookkeeping membership.

Why did you choose to complete an apprenticeship over the traditional university route?

Throughout my academic career, I noticed that I took more of an interest in the workplace and learning on the job, rather than independent studies. I was keen to get stuck in as soon as possible, through gaining practical work experience whilst I was learning. Which is why I thought the structured learning program alongside working in the industry would suit me perfectly.

What did you like about your time at Langham Hall as an apprentice?

I liked the combined learning and working blend at Langham Hall. There was a clear plan which detailed when I was learning, and when I was working on tasks and projects. The exposure I received working across multiple teams really helped me when I was working towards my exams. I gained an understanding into not only what I was working on but also the wider Langham Hall team and the finance world around me. This not only included what I was undertaking in the Systems team, but also the time I spent working in the clients team, payments team and technical team. The rotations across various teams broadened my wider knowledge of the business, giving me exposure into multiple service lines and showing me the different paths I could follow in my career.

The Langham Hall Apprenticeship model allowed me to work closely with my experienced line manager on a day-to-day basis, whether that involved picking up tasks myself, or shadowing on some of the more complex work that he was doing. The support stood me in great stead, allowing me to develop to the position I am in today. The hands-on experience that I received enabled me to learn and apply my skills to a real-life work environment.

How has your role evolved since completing your apprenticeship?

Although I completed my apprenticeship a couple of years ago, I have been able to continually grow in my role. When I first started working in the Systems team I was shadowing, learning from people and picking up things where I could help out. Now I am independently managing projects across multiple jurisdictions. I have developed my skills and have a strong technical understanding, which I am able to teach to the wider team around me. My confidence has grown in managing my own workload. We have recently hired a Systems and Data Apprentice and I am looking forward to helping him develop in his role, he will be assisting with the day-to-day running of the systems, administration and in the future working on his own projects.

I am now working towards becoming ACCA qualified and have completed the first foundation level. I look forward to continuing to apply my new skills and further my career.

Harry’s top three recommendations for those who are following the apprenticeship route:

1. Plan your time in advance: Whilst completing an apprenticeship you will have to juggle day-to-day work and coursework, which is why it is important to allocate your time effectively. I planned my diary and clearly structured my weeks, so I wasn’t faced with capacity related issues.
2.  Check-in discussions with your line manager: Regularly meet with your line manager and ensure you utilise their experience and knowledge within the industry.
3. Ask lots of questions: Following on from the above point, make sure to ask lots of questions, the more you ask the more you learn. After all there is no such thing as a stupid question.

Ioanna-Maria, Ruby, Simon, Adeel and Jessica are currently undertaking apprenticeships across HR, Depositary, IT and Systems team.

Langham Hall offers a diverse range of apprenticeships spanning from our operations, HR and compliance team to internal accounts and Technical/Systems. We are keen to widen the range of departments that support apprenticeships as the development of young talent ensures we are training staff from the bottom up. Team growth and succession planning are key to our talent strategy and apprentices are become increasingly important in supporting this aspect of our growth plans.

At Langham Hall apprentice’s sign-up to an 18 month or 3-year apprenticeship depending on the level of qualification they are completing. They are assigned to a specific department or business area where their job role directly relates to their qualification. Each apprentice has a mentor to support them through their qualification and study leave to allow time to complete their training programme.

If you are interested in our apprenticeship opportunities, reach out to our HR team or view our latest vacancies here.