For Louise Guyler, a career in accounts and finance was always the direction she wanted to take.

After joining ARM as an Admin Assistant, based in Cambridge, Louise made it clear that she was interested in developing her skills in accounts and finance.

Over time, she was given the opportunity to take on more responsibilities in the area, and after just over a year with the company, she was offered the chance to complete an apprenticeship.

Louise chose to study a Level 3 Data Technician apprenticeship with Kaplan alongside her ACCA studies, developing analytical and digital skills that complement her finance training and support her longer-term career goals.

The apprenticeship has helped Louise build her confidence and apply what she has learned directly within her role at ARM.

Building a career in accounts and finance

Louise’s role at ARM has evolved alongside her growing interest in finance. What began as an administrative position has gradually given her the opportunity to become more involved in accounts and take on responsibilities beyond her original role.

“I’ve always had a strong interest in accounts and finance, and I made it clear when I joined ARM that this was an area I wanted to develop.”

After just over a year with the company, Louise was offered the opportunity to complete an apprenticeship.

“I chose to do the Level 3 Data Technician apprenticeship alongside studying ACCA, as I felt the combination would give me a useful mix of data, analytical and financial skills that I could apply throughout my career.”

For Louise, the two areas of study complement each other. While ACCA is developing her financial knowledge, the Data Technician apprenticeship is helping her build the technical and analytical skills needed to work with data more effectively.

Developing practical data skills

When Louise started her apprenticeship, she wanted to build skills that would complement her existing experience and support her longer-term career development.

“One of my main goals was to develop my analytical skills and learn how to use data more effectively.”

This led her to think beyond simply working with data and focus on how it could be used to support the wider business.

“I wanted to understand not only how to work with data, but how to use it in a way that can provide useful information and ultimately help the business.”

As she has progressed through the apprenticeship, Louise has developed her knowledge across a range of technical areas.

“I’ve learned many new skills, particularly around Excel, databases, statistics and working with data.”

She has been able to take those skills back into her role at ARM, putting her learning into practice and taking on additional responsibilities.

Applying learning in the workplace

Louise has been able to use her apprenticeship learning as her responsibilities at work grew.

“One of the things I’ve really enjoyed is being able to bring those skills back into my role at ARM.”

Alongside her existing responsibilities, Louise has developed her technical knowledge through the apprenticeship.

“One of the biggest areas has been Excel. The apprenticeship has helped me build on my Excel knowledge and become much more confident using it to work with and analyse data.”

“I’ve also developed a better understanding of databases, statistics and how data can be organised and used effectively.”

As well as developing her own skills, Louise has been able to bring new data knowledge into the wider team, including developing her understanding of Power BI.

This has allowed her to share what she has learned with colleagues, support them when they need guidance and contribute new skills to the wider department.

“I’m now able to help and teach other people within the business, and it’s a great feeling when people see you as a ‘go-to’ person for something you’ve developed knowledge in.”

Growing in confidence

The apprenticeship has also helped Louise become more confident in her own abilities, particularly as she has taken on new areas of learning alongside her existing responsibilities at ARM.

“It has also made me much more confident when working with statistics and data, and I know these skills will continue to benefit me as I progress in my career.”

Rather than seeing the apprenticeship as simply gaining another qualification, Louise has valued being able to see her progress as she has worked through unfamiliar areas and put them into practice.

“I’m most proud of how quickly I’ve been able to learn new things and put them into practice.”

That progress has also changed what Louise feels able to contribute to her job.

“I’m also proud that the skills I’ve developed are already having an impact on my role.”

Balancing work and study

For Louise, studying alongside her role at ARM has meant that the apprenticeship fits naturally into her working routine rather than feeling like an entirely separate commitment.

“I’ve found balancing my apprenticeship alongside my day-to-day role quite manageable.”

Having the right environment around her has also helped Louise maintain that balance while continuing to make progress with her studies.

“I’ve been lucky to have the support I’ve needed throughout, which has made a big difference.”

The relevance of the apprenticeship to her role has been another important part of the experience, with her learning closely connected to the work she is already doing.

“Being able to apply what I’m learning directly to my work also helps because the apprenticeship doesn’t feel separate from my role.”

This has allowed Louise to develop alongside her existing responsibilities, with her workplace providing an opportunity to reinforce what she learns through practical experience.

Learning with support from Kaplan

Kaplan’s learning resources and ongoing guidance have been an important part of Louise’s apprenticeship.

“I’ve felt supported throughout my apprenticeship and have had access to the help and guidance I’ve needed.

“Having that support available has made it much easier to stay on track alongside my normal responsibilities at ARM.”

The programme has also given her the opportunity to develop knowledge that she can continue to use beyond her studies.

“The resources and learning have also helped me build my knowledge in areas such as Excel, databases, statistics and data analysis, which I’ve then been able to put into practice within my role.”

Advice for future apprentices

Looking back on her experience, Louise feels the apprenticeship has given her a strong foundation to continue developing her career. For anyone considering the route, Louise’s advice is simple:

“I would say go for it! There really is nothing to lose and so much to gain.

“An apprenticeship allows you to learn new skills while also getting the experience of applying them in a real working environment.

“For me, it has helped me become more confident, take on more responsibility and develop skills that I know will benefit my future career.

“If you’re able to do an apprenticeship and develop yourself further, I would definitely recommend taking it.”

Develop your data and finance skills with Kaplan

Louise’s experience demonstrates how an apprenticeship can support career development while helping learners build skills they can apply immediately in the workplace.

If you’re looking to develop your skills while gaining practical experience, an apprenticeship could be a valuable next step in your career.

Explore Kaplan’s data and technology and finance apprenticeships to discover how workplace learning can help you build practical skills and progress your career.