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Virtual Finance Higher Apprenticeship Programme 2026

St. Albans
£22k/yr
Posted 3 days ago
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Our Higher Apprenticeship Programme

Our higher apprenticeship programme offers an exciting opportunity to work in a busy office environment whilst studying towards a professional qualification for a 24-month programme. This is a fantastic platform to start a career in accountancy preparing, recording, and processing data within the virtual finance financial systems.

What You'll Do at Work

During this apprenticeship, we commit time to help you build your knowledge, skills, and practical experiences, providing genuine development opportunities to enable you to become a future leader.

  • You will initially be responsible for preparing, recording, and processing data within the virtual finance financial systems; maintaining spreadsheets; monthly management reporting and preparing and submitting VAT returns as an apprentice team member.
  • As your experience grows, so do your responsibilities, ensuring you get the most out of your training with us and are able to apply the knowledge you are learning along the way.

Training Course

Professional Accounting Technician (Level 4)

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.

Reasons to use Rodeo

I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?

Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.

Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.

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Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme

PwC·London, UK
£35,000/yr

Why you're a good match

Strong

Your economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.

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It searches the market for you

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Why you're a good match

You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.

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Strong

Experience fit

Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.

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Strong

Only hits

No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.

Training Schedule

Alongside the day-to-day duties, you will also be studying for a professional qualification, the Professional Diploma in Accounting (Level 3 & 4 AAT).

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  • The training will be a combination of on-the-job training, time off to study, attend college and complete online classes in preparation for exams.
  • We also provide soft skills training and regular 1:1 meetings with your training manager to ensure you have all the support you need.

Essential Qualifications

  • A Level in: Any discipline (minimum UCAS points of 112)
  • Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

About This Employer

We are a top 50 accountancy firm with offices in St Albans, London, Rickmansworth, and Milton Keynes. We provide our clients with accountancy and tax advice to help their businesses grow, support individuals and families, and help charities and trustees to manage their finances and comply with their obligations. Mercer & Hole recognises that people are its key assets, which makes achieving the right balance between work and home part of our culture.

After This Apprenticeship

  • Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay.
  • There are no limits for our apprentices. Once you have completed the programme, you can progress onto further qualifications, for example, a three-year ACA or ACCA qualification to become a Chartered Accountant, or whatever is the best choice for you.

Ask a Question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

Mercer & Hole LLP

HR Team

HRTeam@mercerhole.co.uk

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000045884.

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Skills

Communication skills
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Number skills
Logical thinking
Team working
Initiative

Location

Herts, 72 London Rd, St Albans AL1 1NS, UK

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