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If you are looking to upskill an existing member of staff or take on a new accounts/finance assistant, we can help.

This apprenticeship is delivered in the workplace with assessor visits.

Key information

Key information about this apprenticeship programme, with the main details like the level, duration and industry/sector. Full details about this standard can be found on the Skills England website.

  • Level: 2 (Intermediate)
  • Duration: 15 months
  • Training location: Workplace
  • Mode of Attendance: Employer based
  • Industry/sector: Legal, finance and accounting
  • Maximum funding available: £7,000.00
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Apprenticeship overview

Maintaining an efficient and accurate finance function within a business.

The key skills, knowledge, behaviours and duties that will be carried out by the apprentice as part of this apprenticeship.

  • Record transactional data.
  • Use the organisation’s standard tools and processes to examine data to identify transactional issues such as, reconciliations and inconsistencies between invoices.
  • Recognise and rectify routine errors, escalating as necessary.
  • Plan and review accounting and finance tasks.
  • Communicate with stakeholders to deliver accurate and timely results, avoiding jargon, using language tailored to the audience and different media methods with an appreciation of the risks and benefits to the business of social media and other digital applications.
  • Use finance and accounting software packages to accurately input and manage data to contribute to routine accounting tasks.
  • Handle data and digital technology in line with cyber and data security requirements, using data securely and safely, including backing up data.

Further information

  • Accounts administrator
  • Accounts assistant
  • Accounts payable clerk
  • Assistant bookkeeper
  • Business accounts administrator
  • Cost accountant assistant
  • Finance assistant junior
  • Junior cashier

This occupation is found in organisations of all sizes whether small, medium, large or global.

They may work in the accounts or finance department of a company, a solo owned business or partnership. In the public sector they may work in settings such as local government, hospitals, schools and colleges. They may work within a firm of accountants providing services to a range of clients.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to carry out accounting and finance tasks. These tasks support the creation of items such as financial statements and other data. Their work is carried out under supervision following set procedures for most tasks. Such tasks may include financial data entry, reconciling figures, trial balances, double-entry bookkeeping, handling accounts payable and receivable. 

An accounts or finance assistant is an integral part of the team responsible for maintaining an efficient and accurate finance function within an organisation. 

The accounts or finance assistant is responsible for assisting accountants with routine duties. These can vary depending on the team structure and size of business. They use digital finance and accounting systems and tools to collate and enter data. An accounts or finance assistant’s work would include tasks such as financial and accounting data entry and basic bookkeeping  duties. They will also work with sales or purchase ledgers. They will run calculations to ensure that records and payments are correct and may be involved in the recording of cash transactions.

In their daily work, an accounts of finance assistant interacts with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. This could include junior colleagues, supervisors, senior managers, clients and customers, suppliers, lenders and government agencies.

An accounts or finance assistant will  gather and input financial data and check that work for errors. They work under supervision to contribute towards the creation of accurate financial statements and data to help the organisation run effectively.

Occupation:

Accounts or finance assistant

Role profile:

An Accounts or finance assistant is an integral part of the team responsible for maintaining an efficient and accurate finance function within a business. The Accounts or finance assistant is responsible for assisting the team of accountants with junior accounting duties. These can vary massively depending on the team structure and size of business. An Accounts or finance assistant’s work could include basic bookkeeping activities, working with sales and purchase ledgers, running calculations to ensure that records and payments are correct, recording of cash and data entry. Accounts or finance assistant can work in almost any sector. Potential employers include corporate businesses, sole traders, partnerships, Public sector, not-for-profit organisations and educational institutions. Accounts or finance assistant may work in-house for an organisation or they might work for an accountancy firm, bookkeeping practice, Shared Service provider, self-employed or on behalf of several different clients.

Entry requirements:

Individual employers will determine their own entry requirements.

Requirements:

All Accounts or finance assistant will demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and behaviours.

Knowledge What is required for occupational competence?
General business
  • Aware of elements of commercial law that may have an impact when working in accountancy, such as contracts, data protection or Anti Money Laundering
  • Can explain the importance of upholding relevant codes of conduct
  • Can explain different legal entities and organisational structures.
  • Aware of the impact of technology on business and its accounting and finance functions.
Understanding your organisation
  • Understand own role within the context of your organisation
  • Understand transactional processes of accounting and their use within a finance function
  • Understand what makes a business or organisation successful, through either buying or selling products or supplying services to a market.
Accounting systems and processes
  • Understand how accounting systems and processes allows a business to keep track of all types of financial transactions
  • Know a range of routine accounts reports, reports and their use within the finance function
  • Understand the basics of internal control within own organisation.
Basic accounting
  • Aware of basic accountancy concepts and double entry bookkeeping
  • Understands bookkeeping controls
  • Understand the cost recording system within an organisation
  • Develop an understanding of the differences between Financial and Management Accounting.
Ethical standards
  • Understands corporate social responsibility (CSR), ethics and sustainability within organisations
  • Understands the importance of the need to keep up-to-date with relevant policies, procedures, regulatory or system changes.
Skills What is required for occupational competence?
Attention to detail
  • The ability to examine data to identify issues
  • The ability to reconcile data to minimise the chance of errors
  • The ability to plan and review work
  • Recognise and rectifies errors.
Communication
  • Deals effectively with a range of stakeholders using appropriate communication methods to deliver accurate and timely results
  • Avoids jargon and uses the correct technical terms where appropriate
  • Demonstrates good listening and speaking skills to be able to communicate effectively in the right manner.
Uses systems and processes
  • Utilises relevant office and accounting software packages to input and manage data accurately
  • Ability to maintain the security of accounting information using passwords and other appropriate security measures.
Personal effectiveness
  • Ability to organise self, prioritise workload and activity to meet deadlines.
  • Actively identifies team workload problems and offers to support peers where appropriate
  • Ability to understand issues beyond own remit
Behaviour What is required for occupational competence?
Team work
  • Supports colleagues and collaborates to achieve results
  • Builds working relationships within own team and other parts of the organisation
  • Be aware of their impact on others.
 Personal development  
  • Successfully implements changes that are required, as directed.
  • Displays an ongoing commitment to learning and self-improvement.
  • Seeks feedback and acts on it to improve their performance.
 Professionalism  
  • Looks to behave professionally by adhering to the organisational code of conduct
  • Has a ‘right first time’ approach.
  • Shows integrity in their approach
  • Demonstrates personal pride in the job through appropriate dress and positive and confident language.
 Customer focus  
  • Builds and maintains customer satisfaction with the products and services offered by the organisation in line with company policy, regulation and practice.
  • Delivers excellent service, identifying and meeting or exceeding customer expectations.

Duration:

Typically, 12 to 14 months.

Qualifications:

Apprentices will be required to take one of the professional qualifications listed below, as chosen by the employer to be most relevant to the job role:

  • AAT Level 2 Certificate in Accounting
  • ACCA Certificate in financial and management accounting (level 2)
  • IAB Level 2 certificate in bookkeeping
  • ICB Level 2 certificate in bookkeeping

Link to professional registration:

On completion, the apprentice will be able to apply for the appropriate level of professional membership aligned with this apprenticeship, dependent on the qualification chosen. Professional body memberships that are relevant to the options for this apprenticeship are:

  • IAB – Associate Level Membership
  • ICB – Associate Level Membership

Neither AAT nor ACCA offer professional registration upon completion of this apprenticeship.

English and mathematics

Apprentices without Level 1 English and maths will need to achieve this level and taken the test for level 2 prior to taking their end point assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeships English and maths minimum requirement is entry Level 3.  British Sign Language qualifications are an alternative to English qualifications for whom this is their primary language

Level:

2

Review date:

Three years from the date of the standard or when significant change is required.

  • AAT Level 2 Certificate in Accounting (Level 2)
  • Institute of Certified Bookkeepers Certificate in Bookkeeping (Level 2)
  • Institute of Accountants and Bookkeepers Level 2 Certificate in Accounting and Business (Level 2)

Hire an apprentice today!

Are you interested in this apprenticeship for your business or company? Get in touch with our dedicated Business Development Manager for this industry/sector to find out more. Alternatively, you can fill out our employer interest form below and we'll get back to you.

Hannah Rogers

Job title: Business Development Advisor Science, Creative & Professional

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Information provided for this apprenticeship programme is sourced from the Skills England formerly the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE). For the information authored by Skills England, this was last modified on 11th May 2026.