In honour of National Apprenticeship Week . We wanted to interview and highlight one of our very own apprentices Zak Bowker. Zak is our first apprentice studying an Association of Account Technicians (AAT) qualification. He started at Marston Holdings in 2022, working in our accounts department. And is now in his final year to complete the AAT Level 3 Assistant Accountant Apprenticeship Programme.
What made you decide to start an apprenticeship?
I initially started AAT Level 2 in college and found it to be too slow paced for me. I then looked into apprenticeships and found out you can earn whilst learning. With the studies being fully funded by my employer
How is your working experience at Marston Holdings contributing to your apprenticeship learning?
What I learn within my qualification commonly comes up at work. This helps me to further understand the task. Also benefits my revision towards exams such as working with debits and credits daily.
My manager is always trying to help me gain exposure to anything that could help me with both my qualification and my professional development.
What are your future goals after your apprenticeship finishes?
After I finish my apprenticeship, my main goal will be to begin the Level 4 AAT Professional Accounting / Taxation Technician Apprenticeship
How are you finding the support from the internal organisation?
Since the start of my apprenticeship, I have received constant support from both my managers, and other members of the business. Everyone has been eager to offer training sessions on other areas of finance which has given me invaluable knowledge and understanding.
We have monthly catch ups with other apprentices within the finance department which helps highlight issues anybody is having and gives us chance to help each other.
What advice would you give to future apprentices?
Ask as many questions as possible, to management, your colleagues and also to your apprenticeship trainer.
To find out more information on apprentices, please visit: