Apprentices rise through ranks at accountancy firm

Toby Lockyer and India Peake both started working for Stephenson Smart in 2024 having been offered apprenticeships while studying their T-Levels

An accountancy firm says apprentices have every opportunity to rise through the ranks through training and hard work.

Stephenson Smart has 20 apprentices across its seven offices in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire who can spend up to four years learning on the job.

In National Apprenticeship Week, the company, based in King's Lynn in Norfolk, said it was proud of its record for recruiting young people who choose vocational qualifications, as well as taking on graduate trainees.

Connor Simpson, 27, joined as an apprentice in 2015 and is now assistant manager of one of the company's teams.

"When I came here, starting as a trainee, I knew that I wanted to go far," he said.

"I knew there would be difficulties of the exams, the pressure of the job.

"It's something that has to be learnt on a daily basis, [but] by doing that work here it's made it very possible.

"It was obviously going to be a struggle at the start, but with the right support from my colleagues it's pushed me to do what I've always wanted to do."

Connor Simpson says he knew he wanted to learn on the job and seek promotion within the company where he started his career

Toby Lockyer, 19, joined the Gorleston-on-Sea team as an apprentice within weeks of getting his T-Level results from East Norfolk Sixth Form College.

"It's been something I couldn't imagine, being at my age now," he said.

"Personally, I learn a lot more on the job than what I do in education, so this has been a great way for me to skip all the uni part and get straight into a career."

Six months later, 22-year-old India Peak was recruited as a second apprentice of the year, having taken on an apprenticeship after university.

"It's really good. I think it's more practical than when I went to uni because you're doing work every day," she said

"You never really know what you're going to expect but it has exceeded expectations and it's a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be; I didn't expect to learn so much, so quickly."

Lizzie Nicolson-Lai says she has no regrets about choosing university over an apprenticeship despite having some student debt

The company, which employs 146 people, also recruits trainees who are not enrolled on apprenticeships, and do not necessarily have higher education qualifications.

Lizzie Nicolson-Lai, 28, studied photography at Falmouth University in Cornwall, but said she always knew she did not wish to pursue a career in the arts or creative industries.

"After that [university] I though "oh, gosh, what am I going to do next?'," she said.

"I saw a local course for online bookkeeping and I did that and enjoyed that, and started to apply to local firms to see if anyone would take me on and I've been doing that for about four years now."

Lizzie says despite having student debt from going to university - which her apprenticeship-colleagues are less likely to have accrued - she has no regrets.

"The experiences I had at uni, all the travelling I did - yes, I've got the student debt but it's not something I think about on a day-to-day basis, and I've got a first-class degree, so that's all that matters."

Jake Groom, associate director at Stephenson Smart, says apprenticeships can help businesses develop talent which allows people to reach their potential

Jake Groom, associate director at Stephenson Smart, said: "Apprenticeships are a great way to get your foot in the door, earn while you learn and ultimately get on the career ladder.

"Universities also have their positives; you get to go away from home and experience independent life, meet new people and get a qualification at the end of it which you can transfer wherever you like ultimately.

"A lot of people may think it's a way to get in, get the qualification and run off to a different firm or do something slightly different.

"[But] they're a great way to build on skills in the workplace and ultimately climb the ladder with a firm that you joined at the start and further advance your career over the long-term."