How apprentices like Keira are leading the way for a future-ready workforce that’s desperately needed

Keira Lake’s 19-year-old apprentice journey from uncertain sixth-former to finance professional demonstrates how AAT apprenticeships can help close the skills gap and provide a future-ready workforce, offering young people transferable skills and clear career progression.

Just over a year ago, Keira was finishing her A-levels with no clear direction for her future. University didn’t appeal to her, but she knew she needed a plan. Today, at 19, she works as a finance assistant at Dorchester Town Council, is just finishing her AAT Level 2 qualification, and has already mapped out her career progression to become a Responsible Finance Officer (RFO).

An unexpected path into finance

Keira’s journey began when she spotted an advertisement for a finance assistant apprenticeship with her local town council. “I had no idea what AAT was at the time,” she admits, “but I knew I didn’t want to go to uni and that this four-and-a-half-year apprenticeship is likely to take me somewhere.”

What started as a pragmatic choice quickly became a passion. “I got into it really quickly. I never would have thought I’d do finance, because maths is not my thing. But it just came really naturally to me, and I found it fun.”

Her enthusiasm has already opened doors she never expected. Last year, Keira was selected for the AAT Student Council, which took her to AAT headquarters – something she never would have imagined, especially given that she had only been to London once before.

Meeting employer demand

New research commissioned by AAT into the training gaps in UK businesses found that employers face critical skills shortages in accountancy and finance that could impact their talent pipeline and the growth of their business. AAT’s Filling the Gap reports that four in five employers say they have skill shortages, which are leading to a drop in productivity and quality, as well as an increase in workload for existing employees. The most frequently mentioned being technical skills including budgeting and forecasting (24%) and data interpretation, presentation, and analysis (23%).

At Dorchester Town Council, where Keira works, there are many positions that require an AAT qualification. “A lot of places either say they’ll put you through AAT, or they want you to already have it, because it shows that base level of understanding and gives you so many transferable skills.”

With 34% of businesses struggling to recruit for finance and accounting positions in the last year, young people like Keira are finding that AAT qualifications offer both immediate opportunities and long-term career security.

Building on those transferable skills

AAT’s research shows that 50% of employers say candidates for accounting and finance roles often possess strong technical skills but lack key transferable skills, such as communication, resilience, and problem-solving.

“Communication is a major thing you develop in AAT Level 2,” Keira explains. She volunteers with the Ashley Churchill and Fauna Educational Trust alongside her job, applying the new communication skills learned through her AAT studies.

The qualification’s focus on practical application has proved invaluable in her day-to-day work, as well as giving her financial literacy for life (19% of employers mentioned financial literacy as a skills gap in their organisation). “Finance is in everything,” Keira notes. “Regardless of where you go, there’s going to be an aspect of finance in it.”

Career progression and plans

The structured nature of AAT qualifications provides Keira with a clear career pathway. After completing her Level 2 end-point assessment, she’ll progress to Level 3 in January, with ambitions to become an RFO within a few years. “From what I’ve been told, I’m already qualified for it,” she says, “so once the position opens, I can do it.”

Her long-term plans include exploring auditing and potentially moving between public and private sectors. “I don’t want to put myself into one box. I want to try loads of different things to find out what I truly love doing.”

Employers are in desperate need of new entrants to the workforce like Keira, who are ready to meet the demands of the changing nature of a finance and accountancy career.

An accessible alternative to university

Keira believes AAT offers an accessible route into finance that more young people should consider. “A lot of people who might want to go into accounting think that the only way is by doing something at university,” she observes, “whereas AAT is extremely accessible and there is no age limit or requirement on it.”

With 68% of employers agreeing that there is a lack of work readiness in younger generations joining the workforce, Keira’s experience demonstrates how vocational qualifications can provide both practical skills and career confidence.

“Just because you’ve done an accounting qualification or a bookkeeping qualification with AAT doesn’t mean you’re limited in using it specifically for that. It can be used for such a wide range of things.”

Looking to the future

As Keira progresses through her apprenticeship, her story shows how accounting qualifications can transform career prospects whilst addressing the skill gaps identified by employers. Her advice for others considering AAT is simple: “I definitely would take it because it’s really good for managing studying and your life, and the skills you get from it – you can literally use them anywhere.”

For young people uncertain about university or their career direction, Keira’s journey from an uncertain A-level student to a confident finance professional in just over a year demonstrates that alternative pathways can lead to fulfilling and secure careers.

With employers desperately needing people with transferable skills as the world of work changes rapidly, apprentices like Keira represent exactly the kind of future-ready workforce that businesses are seeking.

This research explores the skills needs of UK employers in accountancy and finance roles, based on a survey of 1,396 UK employers. Conducted by YouGov on behalf of the AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians), it included responses by HR decision makers, senior managers, directors and members of the C-suite. Filling the Gap provides insights into the current and future skills gap, recruitment challenges, and training priorities.

AAT Comment offers news and opinion on the world of business and finance from the Association of Accounting Technicians.