Apprentice Finance Assistant
Kirklees College
West Yorkshire (HD1 3LD)
Closes in 5 days (Monday 24 August 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 18 August 2026
Contents
Summary
This is an exciting opportunity to work within the finance team at Kirklees College. You will support the Income Manager and the Payments Manager with timely collection and processing of college income, processing of supplier invoices, payments and related queries.
- Wage
-
£15,392 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
The wage will increase after 12 months.
- Training course
- Accounts or finance assistant (level 2)
- Hours
-
Monday to Thursday - 8.30am until 5pm, Friday 8.30am until 4.30pm. Predominantly based at Waterfront Centre with requirement to travel to other sites.
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 7 September 2026
- Duration
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1 year 3 months
- Positions available
-
1
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
In your role, you will be accountable for:
- Prepare and issue invoices, reminder and exclusion letters and monthly statements
- Check and bank cash received from across college
- To update income to Open Accounts ensuring that VAT is correctly applied on each category of income
- To request and process credit notes where needed on receipt of appropriate authorisation
- Create products on the college online store
- Undertake credit control through to recommendation for legal action for an agreed range of customers accounts
- Work with curriculum areas to resolve customer account issues
- Assist in the monitoring of Advanced Learner Loans and Student Loans
- Maintain records of any debt collection action taken in the finance system
- Liaise with audit teams if required
- Work as part of the enrolment team covering finance elements of the process
- Open and distribute incoming mail and email on a rota basis
- Update job manuals in area of responsibility on a regular basis
- Support the Income Manager with ad hoc requests as they arise
- Work within the Purchase Ledger function as required, supporting the accurate and timely processing of supplier invoices, payments and related queries
- To assist in general finance office cover where required
- Build effective working relationships with managers and advise on processes within the postholders remit, to facilitate the best outcomes for the college
- Any other duties commensurate with the level of the post that may be required from time to time
There are things that we are all accountable for, whatever your role, these are:
- Embedding safeguarding into your/your teams working practices and escalating any safeguarding concerns immediately in line with the college’s safeguarding policy
- Embedding Health and Safety best practices and ensuring a safe working environment for everyone within your area of responsibility, according to the Health and Safety at Work Act
- Being a champion and advocate for Equality and Diversity throughout college
- Behaving in a manner that displays British values
- Being committed to reviews of your performance and your own Continuous Professional Development
To be successful in this role you will have the following:
Technical & People Skills/Impact & Influence:
- Ability to use initiative and be innovative in resolving issues quickly and decisively
- Excellent organisational skills with the ability to handle and prioritise multiple tasks and deadlines
- Excellent communication skills both written and verbal and to a wide range of audiences
- Ability to work well as part of a team
- Flexible attitude to work and working hours
- Demonstrable record of success in a customer service working environment, and a commitment to providing a first-class service
- It would be desirable if you have an understanding of accounting processes, and how the different process streams interact
- It would be desirable if you have evidence of working with others to improve practice
College values and behaviours:
Evidence of being able to demonstrate our college values in action:
- Kindness
- Unity
- Excellence
Please take a look at our website for more information on our values.
Where you'll work
Huddersfield Centre
Manchester Road
Huddersfield
West Yorkshire
HD1 3LD
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
KIRKLEES COLLEGE
Training course
Accounts or finance assistant (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Record transactional data.
- Use the organisation’s standard tools and processes to examine data to identify transactional issues, such as reconciliations and inconsistencies between invoices.
- Recognise and rectify routine errors, escalating as necessary.
- Plan and review accounting and finance tasks.
- Communicate with stakeholders to deliver accurate and timely results, avoiding jargon, using language tailored to the audience, and different media methods, with an appreciation of the risks and benefits to the business of social media and other digital applications.
- Use finance and accounting software packages to accurately input and manage data to contribute to routine accounting tasks.
- Handle data and digital technology in line with cyber and data security requirements, using data securely and safely, including backing up data.
- Record transactional data.
- Use the organisation’s standard tools and processes to examine data to identify transactional issues, such as reconciliations and inconsistencies between invoices.
- Recognise and rectify routine errors, escalating as necessary.
- Plan and review accounting and finance tasks.
- Communicate with stakeholders to deliver accurate and timely results, avoiding jargon, using language tailored to the audience, and different media methods, with an appreciation of the risks and benefits to the business of social media and other digital applications.
- Use finance and accounting software packages to accurately input and manage data to contribute to routine accounting tasks.
- Handle data and digital technology in line with cyber and data security requirements, using data securely and safely, including backing up data.
Training schedule
The broad purpose of the occupation is to carry out accounting and finance tasks. These tasks support the creation of items such as financial statements and other data. Their work is carried out under supervision following set procedures for most tasks. Such tasks may include financial data entry, reconciling figures, trial balances, double-entry bookkeeping, handling accounts payable and receivable. The accounts or finance assistant is responsible for assisting accountants with routine duties. These can vary depending on the team structure and size of business. They use digital finance and accounting systems and tools to collate and enter data.
An accounts or finance assistant’s work would include tasks such as financial and accounting data entry and basic bookkeeping duties. They will also work with sales or purchase ledgers. They will run calculations to ensure that records and payments are correct and may be involved in the recording of cash transactions.
All Accounts/Finance Assistants will gather work-based evidence and attend classes to meet the required Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours.
We will be delivering the industry recognised AAT (Association of Accounting Technician) Certificate in Accounting Level 2 as part of this apprenticeship standard.
This qualification comprises four mandatory units:
- Introduction to Bookkeeping
- Principles of Bookkeeping Controls
- Principles of Costing
- The Business Environment
The duration of the apprenticeship is 15-months; to allow confirmation of successful examination results/re-sits as well as completion of the required End Point Assessment.
The two End Point Assessment methods are:
- Assessment method 1 - knowledge test - integrated
- Assessment method 2 - interview: Structured interview (supported by a portfolio of evidence summary)
As part of your contract of employment completion of the Apprenticeship Training Programme forms part of your duties as well as helping your personal and professional development; the requirements to complete the programme are as follows:
- Attend and be punctual for all induction session, lessons, work-based training/support sessions
- Complete all required assignments by the required timeline.
- Build up your portfolio of evidence on-going
- Access support from tutor/assessor/manager as and when required
More training information
As part of your continued professional development, you will be required to undergo any training as deemed necessary by Kirklees College (including an apprenticeship standard or framework if applicable).
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
Microsoft in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Administrative skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Microsoft Office
Other requirements
DBS Advanced check is required.
We are committed to exploring opportunities for flexible working and ensuring the work-life balance and wellbeing of our workforce. Please note that any job offer is subject to pre-employment checks, including a DBS check, online searches and references from former employers, in line with guidance from the Department for Education.
There are good transport links by bus/train. Please check the cost and time it will take to travel. There will be a requirement to work evenings and weekends for enrolment and other events at any of our other sites throughout the academic year.
About this employer
Our mission is creating opportunities, changing lives and this is at the heart of everything we do. The college has a common set of values for both students and staff: Kindness, Unity and Excellence, and they define how we behave and interact with each other. Kirklees College is a uniquely vocational college whose student community reflects the diversity of the local area. We offer inspirational teaching in industry standard, state-of-the-art facilities and ensure curriculum is developed with employers to enable students to progress. At Kirklees College we aim to foster an honest and compassionate approach to ourselves, our people and environment, develop a shared purpose across our community, and set a culture of high aspiration, expectation and success. We strive to be ahead of the curve in our approach to teaching and learning and be a first-choice provider for students and industry alike. With over 10,000 students on full-time and part-time courses, and apprenticeships, we provide seven bespoke centres across the Kirklees region, from two main centres based in Dewsbury and Huddersfield, and dedicated learning centres for Animal Care, Construction, Engineering, Process Manufacturing and Higher Education.
http://www.kirkleescollege.ac.uk (opens in new tab)
Disability Confident
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.
You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
Whilst there will be no guarantee of a substantive position with the college at the end of the period, the college will guide, support and encourage suitable apprentices to apply for appropriate vacancies as and when they arise.
The college has a very good record of supporting workers through in-house apprenticeships, and many apprentices have secured employment with the college beyond their apprenticeship.
There may be a full-time position for the candidate to apply for, subject to successful completion of the apprenticeship and employment targets.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
KIRKLEES COLLEGE
Nichola Barnes
nbarnes@kirkleescollege.ac.uk
01484437054
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000048518.
Apply now
Closes in 5 days (Monday 24 August 2026 at 11:59pm)