Have you considered taking the vocational route to white-collar professions, such as those offered by the Association of Accounting Technicians?
which she studied t wo evenings a week while still working full-time in London. Pluck says: “My dad was concerned that I hadn’t completed any A-levels, and recommended I get in touch with the local college to discuss getting a professional qualification. “The first year was a whirlwind. It was overwhelming at times, but I got a lot of support from my tutors. In the second year, it all started clicking into place. I used to get into work at six in the morning, and the senior accountant would spend two hours with me, helping me prepare for my exams.” H av i n g c o mp l e t e d b o t h A AT Levels 2 and 3, Pluck moved on to a job in the accounts department of a milling company in Brentwood, while studying for the AAT Level 4 Professional Diploma in Accounting. She worked up to hold a position on the board of global solutions provider Canute Group, where she was involved in most major financial decisions taken by the company. She now works as a finance manager for FTSE 100 professional services firm Intertek, and is also part of Future FDs, a group of young finance professionals in Essex who meet to share ideas.
Her story proves that you don’t have to follow an academic route to become a success.
In fact, three in five people surveyed for AAT’s Social Mobility Report who have achieved a university degree say a vocational qualific ation is better preparation for the world of work than university — and of course, it comes without the significant degree of debt, you can earn while you learn and you gain valuable experience along the way. Pluck is encouraging others to f ol l ow i n her f oot s t e ps . “I ’ ve go t accountants who work for me, many of whom have gone down the AAT route before taking further studies to become chartered.
“I would really like to help more people and inspire them to see where it can take them. I believe the AAT qualifications open up many doors, and it was important for me that I could put my new skills to work by being in a finance role while I was also studying.”
AAT research has revealed that 72 per cent of A-level students who have taken their exams this summer do not have a full understanding of the vocational education routes that exist that lead to white collar professions.
The majority have made their decision as to their future career and education choices based simply on following the status quo, with a quarter saying they are going to university “because their parents say they should” and a similar number saying they want to study full time and “university is the only route they know of ”.
AAT qualifications are open to all, regardless of previous experience or exam success, and provide further education routes, such as apprenticeships and professional training courses, which can ultimately fast-track people towards chartered accountancy.
Mark Farrar, CEO of AAT, said: “Young people who have recently received their exam results and are deciding their next steps are about to make one of the biggest decisions of their life, yet we do not always properly inform students about all the options that exist.”