The financial landscape is constantly changing. As the pace of change speeds up, professional accountants will need to learn how to adapt in this changing environment. We are developing a Level 7 Apprenticeship in Accountancy programme which will equip team members with the skills and behaviours that will enable them to thrive. It’s about learning on the job and owning your development. Embedding key competencies of value-added provision, self-evaluation and a focus on continuous improvement will create the foundations for a successful career. The apprenticeship sits alongside SV’s own internal development programme which reinforces these competencies.
New team members work alongside experienced auditors on audit and advisory work and gain a thorough understanding of the key challenges facing charities and social purpose organisations.
Jonathan Orchard, Partner at Sayer Vincent said: “Learning and development is at the core of SV We have been taking a cohort of graduates every year for over 30 years to train and qualify with us. In National Careers Week, we want to inspire the next generation of auditors by showcasing the career opportunities within SV and the charity sector.
“The charity sector is so varied, and we work with all sorts of charities who are at the forefront of dealing with some of the most pressing issues in the UK and globally. We work with humanitarian relief organisations, social care providers, environmental charities, museums and arts organisations and many more. Those considering an accountancy qualification can gain skills and experience whilst working with us enabling them to make a valuable contribution to the work charities do.”
“After qualification, many of our team decide to stay and play more senior or specialist roles within SV. But we are also proud of the number who go on to take finance roles within charities – providing a lasting benefit to the sector. We have former SV team members in roles at Comic Relief, WaterAid, Natural History Museum, Diabetes UK, MacMillan – to name a few. Another is with the World Food Programme in Rome.”
Three members of the SV team have spoken about what attracted them to accountancy and training at Sayer Vincent:
Sean Khosla who has been with the firm just over a year said: “What attracted me most to Sayer Vincent is the firm works exclusively with charities. When I started my career in finance, I wanted my work to have a sense of purpose. Working in a more “soul-crushing”, corporate environment wouldn’t have given me that sort of purpose.
“One of the key benefits of the training is the variety of clients we work with. They range from small clients with a couple of charity shops who work on paper-based systems to larger clients with massive accounting software packages. This varied experience and exposure is very helpful, and quite eye-opening.”
Rebecca Jones joined Sayer Vincent in May 2022 said: “After seeing the advert for Sayer Vincent, I was absolutely sold. I loved that they work with clients who are making a difference in society, not just about making money. I knew it was for me.When I was looking into accountancy, I knew I’d be good with the numbers, and being analytical. Part of why I was interested is also that it can take you anywhere – accountants are always needed, and I thought that was very useful. My experience working here has been fantastic. I feel like I’ve come home. Everyone is so supportive, friendly and wants you to do well.”
Finally, Joel Hayhow joined Sayer Vincent in July 2022 after being a teacher for four years. He said: “The role is quite different from the classroom, and I appreciated being able to change career into accountancy. I really enjoy the ownership of time which we get. We have deadlines of course, but we’re allowed to decide how to use our time to meet the deadline.
“I highly recommend the training because of the support we receive. We have an ACA Training Manager, who we meet with regularly and who supports us in our appraisals and how we engage with training at First Intuition, who is our training provider. As the firm is small, from very early on we see how the audit progresses from planning, to testing, to finalisation. I’ve really enjoyed learning and the clients that we work with and highly recommend working at Sayer Vincent.”
To find out more about the training opportunities and current roles at Sayer Vincent visit: www.sayervincent.co.uk/work-for-us.