Bridlington trainee accountant proves she has a head for numbers
23rd February 2017 5:02pm - Return to press releases
A young trainee accountant from Bridlington has gone from strength to strength since leaving school. Chanelle Hardcastle, 22, now works at local firm Lloyd Dowson who has offices in Bridlington and Scarborough, and is loving life as an accountant. She said, “My experience at East Riding College has been excellent and has had such a positive impact on my life.
“When I left school I knew I wanted to work in an office role. I found work as a receptionist in a garage, then I spoke to my Dad and he suggested that accountancy would suit me and give me good prospects for the future.”
Chanelle joined East Riding College to study for her AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) qualifications. The College is an accredited provider of AAT, which is the UK’s leading qualification and professional body for vocational accountants. AAT’s range of qualifications is open to all, regardless of previous qualifications or age, and includes bookkeeping and other finance qualifications.
“When I decided I wanted to start my AAT Level 2 qualification, I spoke to my employer and was lucky as I had their support to take time out of work to attend classes.”
Chanelle’s career took off from there and she continued her studies to Level 3.
“I felt elated with the amount of progress I had made by the end of the course. I knew before I started my Level 4 I wanted to find a job with an accounting practice. I received advice and direction from my College tutor and ultimately, this led to me becoming a trainee accountant at Lloyd Dowson. I chose them because they were one of the biggest firms in the area.”
Lloyd Dowson provide services such as payroll, tax, auditing and cloud accounting software solutions. Jon Rowbottom, Managing Director, said, “We believe in investing in our staff and we are proactive when it comes to training. Chanelle has been an asset from the start and has benefited greatly from the support given to her by members of the Lloyd Dowson team. She’s been a model trainee, we’re very proud of everything she has achieved so far.”
Chanelle is now completing her Level 4 with support from her employer, who are providing in house training to aid her study. Chanelle says, “They’re really supportive and want to help me achieve the best results I can. I am even being mentored by more experienced colleagues to further my knowledge and skills. I have had extra support whenever I have needed it from my tutor too, and I have enjoyed all the lessons.”
Chanelle hopes to gain more experience and then achieve chartered status in the future.
If you’re interested in AAT or accounting, visit East Riding College’s next Open Event in Bridlington at its St Mary’s Walk campus, on Tuesday, 7 March, 4pm- 7pm.
