How about going from school leaver to qualified accountant in just five years? Read on to learn how you can do this.The National Audit Office (NAO) is a public sector organisation, independent of government and the civil service. Our work involves the financial audit of all government departments and other public sector organisations and we produce a number of value for money studies for parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which departments and other bodies have used their resources in delivering particular projects. We also have a number of international clients such as the United Nations and provide support to audit institutions in developing countries. The work we do has a genuine impact on the nation, leading to savings and other efficiency gains worth many millions of pounds. You can be part of that!We offer a five year training programme for school leavers, leading to qualification as a chartered accountant through the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). It’s a fantastic alternative to University as you will achieve a professional qualification and gain impressive skills and knowledge whilst developing your career and earning a competitive salary.As a School Leaver, your first allocation will either be in corporate finance- where you will have the opportunity to develop all-round financial skills and business awareness, or in one of our financial audit teams, where you will be involved in scrutinising the accounts of government departments and other public sector bodies. You’ll also have the opportunity over your 5 years to be involved in our high profile value for money studies.The NAO is committed to staff development, as well as funding our trainees’ professional accountancy training, we provide a wide range of internal training courses, designed to both increase our staff’s business awareness and develop their personal effectiveness. For example, first year school leavers will attend an Introduction to Audit Fieldwork course and later on in their training they’ll attend an Audit Interviewing course, where they will learn how to build effective relationships and all the techniques needed for holding successful client meetings.After qualifying, you may be offered a permanent position as an Audit Principal, depending on your performance and the availability of posts. We see our trainees as the future of the organisation and seek to promote from within wherever possible. Once qualified, trainees can apply to join our ‘Future Leaders’ talent management programme which supports their development and prepares them for career progression.Our academic requirements include 300 UCAS points or equivalent, taken from your top three A-levels (excluding General Studies) and 5 GCSEs at A*-C including Maths and English.We are looking for people who combine analytical skills with the ability to work well with others and to present clear, reasoned arguments with impact and passion. We also look for trainees who are excited about our work and who have the ‘get up and go’ to achieve results in a highly professional and challenging environment.If this sounds like you, please visit our website to find out more and apply: www.big-on.org.ukWe look forward to hearing from you!
