I'm in my last year of education at high school. I aspire to be an accountant but not too sure what route to take.

I have visited a few college's which told me I can only do a accountancy qualification when I'm 18 and I will have to pay to do that course. The best they could offer me was a business diploma. She informed me there was 18 units? Can't remember and 2 which will be accounts; the rest of the units will be law, retail etc. This would take me 2 years to complete, no exams just coursework which would lead me up to 18. This is equivalent to 3 A-levels. By then I could pay to do an accountancy degree. The women told me it would take around 4-7 years to become a fully qualified accountant taking this route. However, she promised me if that's what I really want to do she would help me get works expierance and guide me through the whole thing.

However, a guy who I did my works expierance with told me to phone him once I have left school to talk about a apprenticeship. The women at the collage said, I would be bored doing an apprenticeship, but I could be a fully qualified accountant within 3 years. This would be the fastest way but I'm torn on to go to college or a apprenticeship, can anyone help me decide?

Also just noticed I put 2 "can't" in my title, whoops.  

will they have you intern/work at places in the college route? if not the apprenticeship sounds better simply because 1) time and 2) work experience  

Posted by Crono

will they have you intern/work at places in the college route? if not the apprenticeship sounds better simply because 1) time and 2) work experience

Not too sure if they will have work places, she just said she would help me gain me some expieriance. Yeah that's what I thought about the apprenticeship you get paid too which is a huge plus considering I'm planing on leaving home as soon as possible. But if I go to college it's a chance to meet new people, learn new skills. I would love to be an accountant but what if I go to college and find law more interesting. Going to college will open many door not just one. I guess they both have advantages and disadvantages but I can't match them up to which will be better.  

i think you should spend a year doing the apprenticeship and if you dont like it then go the college route, that way you gave accounting an honest try and can see if you want to go down that path or not early on  

Posted by Crono

i think you should spend a year doing the apprenticeship and if you dont like it then go the college route, that way you gave accounting an honest try and can see if you want to go down that path or not early on

I understand, thank you so much for the advice! I have applied for the college, I have an apprenticeship waiting for me but to be honest I didn't like the place so looking around for different ones. Alough I would be giving it a try I could do volunteer work and try that way. I don't want to waste a year and waiting until another September to apply for a college haha.  

I would try out the apprenticeship before going to college if I were you. I took a gap year between high school and college where I worked and it was a great time to figure out what I really wanted to do. I also did a couple of internships during college, so that might also be a possibility later.  

Posted by Guri

I would try out the apprenticeship before going to college if I were you. I took a gap year between high school and college where I worked and it was a great time to figure out what I really wanted to do. I also did a couple of internships during college, so that might also be a possibility later.

I see, I'm not guaranteed a apprenticeship though, am I? I heard there very hard to get into.  

Preferably I'd like to do an apprenticeship in the near future when I leave, but i'll probably have to stay on education because i'd like to do architecture.  

Posted by Zara

I see, I'm not guaranteed a apprenticeship though, am I? I heard there very hard to get into.

I had to apply for mine, and I don't know what it's like at the college you've applied at. They hand-picked people at my old college, so no you're not guaranteed anything.  

Posted by Guri

I had to apply for mine, and I don't know what it's like at the college you've applied at. They hand-picked people at my old college, so no you're not guaranteed anything.

I see, well I was told I would have to go for a interview which they will email me about so I guess wait and see. I already got accepted for one but I turned it down because it was too close to home college wise.

Posted by SomeGuy

Preferably I'd like to do an apprenticeship in the near future when I leave, but i'll probably have to stay on education because i'd like to do architecture.

Ohhh, so you think I should go to college get my diploma or degree not too sure on the difference then look into an apprenticeship?  

Apprenticeships can be great but if you suddenly decide you don't like what you're doing then it's difficult to switch to something else as you have been trained for that specific job. College would definitely open up a lot more doors, it sounds like it would be the longer option but in my opinion it's a much safer one.

What Crono said doesn't sound like a bad idea. I think it's definitely worth trying out the apprenticeship and seeing if you enjoy it, if not you can always try college instead.  

Posted by Vendetta

Apprenticeships can be great but if you suddenly decide you don't like what you're doing then it's difficult to switch to something else as you have been trained for that specific job. College would definitely open up a lot more doors, it sounds like it would be the longer option but in my opinion it's a much safer one.

What Crono said doesn't sound like a bad idea. I think it's definitely worth trying out the apprenticeship and seeing if you enjoy it, if not you can always try college instead.

True, I will definitely take everyone's advice on board. Thank you for all your opinions!  

I've been in an apprenticeship for almost 2 years now and

i'm lovin it.  

Take what that woman said to you with a grain of salt; she doesn't know if you'd be bored with an apprenticeship or not.

If I were you I'd talk to the apprenticeship guy and get more details about the apprenticeship. What does it entail exactly? How long? Will you have to go to uni after? etc. Apprenticeships are difficult to get, but thats because they tend to be very rewarding. As someone who is currently doing a year long internship after A levels and 2 years of university, I can honestly say real life experience > education by a long shot.

Also, im unfamiliar with accountancy as a whole but pay to do the course? In the UK? Do accountants need a specialist qualification outside of a BA Hons degree to become fully qualified? If not why not just take up 3 A - Levels that relate to the industry in college/sixth form then move on to accountancy at university? She honestly sounds like a salesperson lol.  

silly zara2 ur only 11 go to sleep