Throughout his school career, Chris Garry, 20, was always good with numbers, but he knew from an early age that he didn’t want to go to university.
At his Manchester sixth-form college he took A-levels in accounting, economics and IT, and saw an alternative route open up for him when accountancy firm Grant Thornton gave a talk about higher apprenticeship roles. Seeing his enthusiasm, the firm’s representative encouraged him to apply. Although his A-level grades fell slightly short, Grant Thornton was impressed by his abilities, and Garry started a four-year higher apprenticeship in August 2015.
It’s an environment in which he has thrived. “I took to it really well because I always wanted to go into accounting,” he says. “I just wanted to make sure I could do it as best as I can.” Four days a week, Garry is based in the office, where he reviews financial statements under supervision. He will progress to working without supervision, before moving next year to charging jobs on his own. “It’s quite a structured and quick development process,” he says. One day a week, Garry studies for his Association of Accounting Technicians qualification at Kaplan Financial college, which he will complete in August this year. In the final year of his apprenticeship he will gain chartered accountant (ACA) status.
His bosses have been so pleased with his performance that his starting salary of £15,500 has now risen to £18,500. Once his apprenticeship is over, Garry plans to stay with the firm on secondment to another country, such as Australia or Singapore: “If you’re ACA qualified you can go anywhere in the world.”
