Apprentice to Professional
Matt Roke - Accountant for Childrens Social Care
After completing my A Levels, I had no aspirations to go to
university. Like many young people I was trying to establish a career but had
no interview success with many different employers due to lack of experience in
the financial sector. I very quickly realised experience would be very
difficult to obtain, however, the Devon County Council Apprenticeship Scheme was
the perfect opportunity for me to gain the relevant skills, knowledge and competencies
I needed. Little did I know when I joined DCC Finance as a young 20-year-old
apprentice in 2010 I would be where I am now!
The two-year apprenticeship program enabled me to gain
qualifications in Business Admin Level 2 and 3. What I didn’t realise at the
time, the wide and varied experience I gained of the many different finance
functions would give me precious experience to allow me to apply for different
jobs further in my career. Even over the two-year program I developed
relationships with people I currently work with today.
At the time my Apprenticeship concluded, due to restructures
and vacancy freezes, jobs were very difficult to come by in the local
authority, however, I was fortunate enough to secure permanent employment with
the Charging for Care Services team. My desire was to further my career in
Finance but to do this I felt I needed my AAT Finance qualifications. As a
result, a year later, I secured the post of Finance Assistant within Childrens
Finance Child Protection (a post I previously had oversight of as an
apprentice) which enabled me to commence my AAT studies.
As I progressed through the AAT course I quickly developed
new skills and competencies which enabled me to apply for jobs at a higher
level. I then successfully applied for the Finance Officer role within Children
in Need, Children Services.
Whilst conducting my Finance Officer role I successfully
concluded my AAT studies, but I felt I could do more! Soon after, I applied to
start my CIPFA (Charter Institute of Public Finance) qualifications. To my
delight, due to my AAT success and the reputation I had built within Devon
Finance Services, the Assistant County Treasurer agreed to fund my studies with
little hesitation.
As with my AAT, soon into my CIPFA studies I again developed
the skills and competencies which enabled me to successfully apply for the post
of Accountant within Children Services in November 2016. Essentially in the space of 6 years I had gone
from Apprentice to Accountant, earning a respectable salary, managing a small
team, whilst becoming a very competent and experienced member of the Children
Services Finance Team.
I have thrived and enjoyed all my job roles within DCC and now
that I am coming to the end of my CIPFA studies I am looking for my next promotion
and exciting challenge within Devon Finance Services. I wouldn’t be where I am
today without the support of my DCC colleagues and the training and development
I have been provided with from day one.
Life has changed a lot for me personally since entering
Devon County Council as a young man. I am now married and a home owner who has
just welcomed our first child into the world. Ultimately, Finance was the
career I chose to enable me to live the life I live, and I will never forget
that it all started with the DCC Apprenticeship Scheme. I would highly recommend the Apprenticeship
program to anyone who has the drive and enthusiasm to succeed and is struggling
to establish their desired career. With
the right attitude, work ethic and support mechanisms in place the
apprenticeship scheme offers a fantastic opportunity to start your career in
the best way possible!
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