Finance Apprentice

Cathay Investments Ltd

Croydon (CR0 2ZD)

Closes in 30 days (Wednesday 1 April 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 26 February 2026

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Summary

At Cathay Investments, we are looking for a high-achieving A-Level leaver to join us as a Finance Apprentice. This isn't just a study placement; it is a vital operational role within a fast-paced
investment group. While you work toward your professional qualifications, you will be the engine room of our daily finance functions.

Wage

£16,000 a year

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Training course
Professional accounting technician (level 4)
Hours
Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.30pm, with an hour unpaid break for lunch. This includes 20% time provided per week to attend any classroom lessons (if required) and/or study leave. We're fully office based in Croydon.

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Saturday 2 May 2026

Duration

2 years

Positions available

2

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

Your core responsibilities as a Finance Apprentice will include:

  • Ledger Management: Taking full ownership of the Purchase Ledger and Sales Ledger
  • Cash & Banking: Processing daily cashbook entries and performing essential bank reconciliations
  • Accountant Support: Working as the right hand to our Management Accountant to assist with month-end accounts and VAT returns
  • Group Tracking: Monitoring intercompany transactions across our diverse portfolio of businesses
  • Office Integration: Acting as a key point of contact for head office enquiries and supporting the wider team to manage departmental workloads

Where you'll work

Alhambra House
9 St. Michaels Road
Croydon
CR0 2ZD

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

CROYDON COLLEGE

Training course

Professional accounting technician (level 4)

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What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Collate and analyse financial information, and show how that information can be used most effectively to support value creation within an organisation.
  • Apply accounting principles and adhere to legislation to ensure records are accurate and compliant with law or company policy when delivering accounting activities, such as the financial accounting of single entities, limited companies or partnerships or management accounting activities for an organisation.
  • Apply professional scepticism when undertaking accounting activities to inform and evaluate decision making on the content of true and fair accounts, being alert to conditions that may indicate possible misstatement of financial information due to error or fraud, establishing the facts sensitively and being aware of unconscious bias.
  • Interpret financial information for accounting purposes, such as using judgement to determine the correct way to report or account for transaction or undertaking ratio analysis.
  • Participate in or support others with quality improvement activities, for example the improvement of personal working practices.
  • Use software packages to assist with accounting tasks in line with cyber and data security requirements, using data securely and safely, including backing up data.
  • Deliver accounting tasks with a critical eye to transactions and trends, demonstrating a ‘right first time approach’.
  • Use workload management principles to plan, organise and prioritise own tasks, and manage time effectively.
  • Use accounting information to add value to the organisation through use of data visualisations, analysis and interpretation, and communicate financial information in a way that facilitates understanding for non-finance stakeholders.
  • Communicate accounting information through a variety of media to enable key stakeholders to understand what is required, considering the risks and benefits to the organisation of social media and other digital applications.
  • Build and maintain collaborative, professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders to deliver accounting tasks, recognising the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion.
  • Collate and analyse financial information, and show how that information can be used most effectively to support value creation within an organisation.
  • Apply accounting principles and adhere to legislation to ensure records are accurate and compliant with law or company policy when delivering accounting activities, such as the financial accounting of single entities, limited companies or partnerships or management accounting activities for an organisation.
  • Apply professional scepticism when undertaking accounting activities to inform and evaluate decision making on the content of true and fair accounts, being alert to conditions that may indicate possible misstatement of financial information due to error or fraud, establishing the facts sensitively and being aware of unconscious bias.
  • Interpret financial information for accounting purposes, such as using judgement to determine the correct way to report or account for transaction or undertaking ratio analysis.
  • Participate in or support others with quality improvement activities, for example the improvement of personal working practices.
  • Use software packages to assist with accounting tasks in line with cyber and data security requirements, using data securely and safely, including backing up data.
  • Deliver accounting tasks with a critical eye to transactions and trends, demonstrating a ‘right first time approach’.
  • Use workload management principles to plan, organise and prioritise own tasks, and manage time effectively.
  • Use accounting information to add value to the organisation through use of data visualisations, analysis and interpretation, and communicate financial information in a way that facilitates understanding for non-finance stakeholders.
  • Communicate accounting information through a variety of media to enable key stakeholders to understand what is required, considering the risks and benefits to the organisation of social media and other digital applications.
  • Build and maintain collaborative, professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders to deliver accounting tasks, recognising the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion.

Training schedule

Minimum of 3 A-Levels (Grade C or above) are essential for this Level 4 role.

  • Level 4 Entry: You will begin your journey on the Level 4 Professional Accounting Technician apprenticeship (ACCA pathway)
  • Level 7 Progression: For a Finance Apprentice who demonstrates exceptional performance and technical skill, we offer the potential to progress to the Level 7 Professional Accountant apprenticeship to achieve full ACCA Chartered status
  • Study Structure: You will receive 20% dedicated study time via block release with classroom-based learning in Central London

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

A Level in:

Maths (grade B)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Problem solving skills
  • Number skills
  • Logical

Other requirements

We're fully office based with no remote working.

About this employer

We are the head office for an international group of companies. We manage the central services including all payroll for the UK part of the group. We're a friendly bunch, based full time in the office, with plenty of scope for an apprentice to get involved in a wide range of business matters supported by an experienced team.

After this apprenticeship

  • There is the possibility for the right candidate to convert to a full-time position in the finance team

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CROYDON COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000017675.

Apply now

Closes in 30 days (Wednesday 1 April 2026 at 11:59pm)