Today we’re sharing Shaun Kailla’s apprenticeship journey with Reed Business School. Shaun is Accounts and Audit Associate at Wenn Townsend and is coming up to his final round of professional level exams in his ACA qualification.
Shaun exceled at Maths as a child, and his love of the subject saw him through a Further Maths A-Level and then a Maths degree at Birmingham University. Unsure of which pathway to take after this, it was Shaun’s mum who first recommended the accountancy profession, and a friend directed him to the ICAEW website, where he spotted a job advert for a trainee position at Wenn Townsend.
Having researched thoroughly, Shaun knew that the ACA qualification was the one for him, and although he hadn’t previously considered an apprenticeship, he liked the look of the apprenticeship pathway and the structure of the course Reed Business School offers, which seemed to suit his personality and goals.
As part of the cohort affected by Covid, Shaun has experienced both our classroom teaching and the online learning and resources, and he has great things to say about both:
“I loved going to the classroom – it was a great opportunity to get involved, ask questions, and develop friendships with other people in my cohort. The online resources have also been amazing and I really like being able to view the notes, chat to my tutors and classmates online, and rewatch the class recordings when I want to.”
One of the key elements of the apprenticeship programme is the focus on learning the skills and behaviours to succeed in business, as well as the technical knowledge. Accountants, in particular those in client-facing roles, must have a well-rounded skillset to be able to communicate complex information and manage professional relationships, and this is one area where Shaun has really developed during his apprenticeship.
“When I started, I wasn’t particularly confident in being able to communicate technical information with clients. But a combination of studying to understand it better, experience on the job in a client-facing role, and working with my coach to improve my confidence now means I can do this with ease, which will really help me in my career going forward.”
Shaun admits that his determination not to fail any of his exams has meant a lot of hours spent on his study, occasionally at the detriment of his social life, but believes it’s absolutely worth it. He’s now even looking forward to supporting the next intake of trainees at his firm.
“All the trainees at Wenn Townsend now follow the apprenticeship pathway with Reed Business School, and I’m really glad I get the chance to guide them, and be able to pass on my knowledge and experiences so far.”
As for the future, Shaun is currently just focused on passing his remaining exams first time to get the qualification under his belt.
We believe in you, Shaun, you got this!
