REWARD
N ational Apprenticeship Week is back again, and I feel honoured to be able to write another article for Professional magazine. I’m eager to share my first-hand experiences of studying for payroll apprenticeships and to potentially encourage anyone who’s in the same position as I was before I started my learning. The Level 3 Payroll Administrator Apprenticeship has been the most career changing thing I have done so far, and has helped me in ways I could never have imagined, including: l gaining a qualification l solidifying and expanding my knowledge l building my own brand and gaining opportunities.
calculations are incredibly important; it’s essential payroll professionals don’t lose their connection with performing calculations manually. In both the Level 3 and Level 5 apprenticeships, I’ve gained a huge amount of knowledge. This ranges from technical knowledge and complex legislation to intricate details when performing manual calculations e.g. the decimal place rounding when calculating statutory maternity pay. Attention to detail is something I pride myself on and I’ll never forget the fine details I’ve learnt. I also believe that only select payroll professionals will know this information, as we don’t tend to use it in our day-to-day roles. Building my own brand and gaining opportunities This is something I’ve worked on a lot since starting my career. I’ve put a lot of effort into building my own brand and creating a network. The apprenticeships have helped me to do this, as I’ve had the opportunity to connect with other payroll professionals during the learning process. I’ve also been able to talk about my experience and the positive impacts it’s had on me on LinkedIn and via the CIPP, through: l a filmed interview
being creative, but also creates incredible personal opportunities. I feel strongly about representing payroll apprentices and helping to bring more young people into the industry, while also showing the amazing advantages of studying at any stage in your career.
Gaining a qualification This seems like the most obvious advantage of completing an
Apprenticeship update I’ve recently started studying the Level 5 Assistant Payroll Manager Apprenticeship and I’m thoroughly enjoying the content so far. The Level 5 course perfectly complements my day-to-day role as it’s complex, extends Level 3 knowledge and has a huge managerial focus aspect, which is a natural next step for me. I know the skills and behaviours I will learn will help me both in my current role and throughout my career progression. I’ve always loved business, and this is something that’s covered in the course in terms of workplace policy, how to manage a team and much more. In National Apprenticeship Week, it’s so important to share experiences and highlight just how career changing qualifications like the payroll apprenticeship can be. I take any opportunity I can to share my experiences of studying payroll apprenticeships and my career journey so far. From four and a half years ago at the age of 17 when I had finished my A levels and was looking to start my career, to now, where I’m payroll senior and a one-man-band payroll department in an accountancy practice and everything in between. I’m looking forward to continuing to express my love for the payroll apprenticeship and just how beneficial it has been for me and my career so far, but also to completing the Level 5 Assistant Payroll Manager Apprenticeship and discovering the new opportunities I will discover upon its completion. n
apprenticeship, but it’s something which has helped me in my career progression, by demonstrating my ability and commitment when looking for new payroll roles. I studied A levels after my GCSEs, and it’s great to also have a professional qualification in the industry I work in, which helps me to stand out. I believe gaining a qualification at the end of learning is very rewarding and you also receive an official certificate to keep. If you’re like me, you can even place it on your office wall!
l Professional magazine l National Payroll Week.
I started building my own brand and forming a relationship with the CIPP when I was studying the Level 3 Payroll Administrator Apprenticeship. My teacher, Nick, was approached by the CIPP and asked to select an apprentice to take part in its #BePayroll campaign – and I was chosen. This was the start of an amazing relationship between the CIPP and me, who I now regularly work alongside. I have built some amazing working relationships along the way. This is another example which highlights how studying an apprenticeship can open more doors and help with career progression. Since completing that apprenticeship, I’ve continued to grow my brand. I was grateful to be asked to attend a Level 3 apprenticeship group session to help with revision techniques and to share my tips for studying and preparing for exams. This is something I really enjoy alongside my day-to-day role as a payroll senior. Building my profile helps me express my strengths of supporting others and
Emily’s Level 3 Payroll Administrator Apprenticeship certificate.
Solidifying and expanding my payroll knowledge The apprenticeships have helped me to understand what goes on behind the scenes of payroll software calculations and have assisted me when dealing with complex client pay queries. Payroll software is incredibly intelligent and develops more each year with features such as automation, but I still feel the manual
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 90 | May 2023 Issue 97 | February 2024
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