In his tenth blog, Ethan continues to write about experiences from his Business Officer Apprenticeship at Leeds East Academy:
Before I started my apprenticeship, I had some pre-conceived ideas of what it was going to be like, specifically with regards to the training I’d receive in and out of the workplace. As I attended college during my first half-term and worked at Leeds East Academy, I struggled to make sense of what I was doing and how it related to the principles I was learning in college. I had to do lots of independent thinking and reflection to try and make sense of the why.
While this element of independent learning has not gone away I am able to more clearly identify how the course topics relate to the processes and responsibilities my role requires me to perform. Last time I wrote about dealing with the Petty Cash Control - this time I want to write about the Credit Card Reconciliation.
Following the principles learnt at college about bank reconciliations, I successfully completed November’s credit card reconciliation. The bank issuing the card send a statement to which items on that statement must be matched with the organisations own personal records. Once the reconciliation is complete the credit card is then paid so that there is no amount owing to the bank. As this example shows, utilising the knowledge I gain in college to strengthen my skillset is an advantageous experience for me.
Before Christmas, it was mentioned that we will need to do some journaling to organise the accounts. Using journal entries and learning how to correct errors in the accounting system is another topic that we have focused on in college over the half term. My manager planned on spending some time giving me a tutorial on how to do this on the accounting system. However, we changed our plans and prioritised processing all orders and invoices so that heading into the Christmas holidays we can be completely up to date with all financial documents. We did just that. The process of setting a goal and working hard to achieve that goal has definitely reaped its rewards.
Receiving training in the workplace is essential to one’s personal development. On the contrary, it is our personal responsibility to seek these learning opportunities in the workplace. Having sought this opportunity, I am now empowered through the skills I have to accept more responsibilities.
