When Drew Smith chose a Foundation Apprenticeship for one of his subjects in S6, he never imagined it would lead to a career in accounting.

Oldmachar Academy pupil Drew came across Foundation Apprenticeships when he was looking for options outside of the traditional subjects offered at school. Having previously enjoyed studying business, the Business Skills course caught his eye on the NESCol website, and he picked this as one of his subjects for his final school year.

Drew studied his Foundation Apprenticeship as part of his school timetable but spent two afternoons at NESCol and two afternoons on work placement every week. The opportunity to gain experience outside of the school environment appealed to him.

He said: “It was a change to spending six hours in school every day, actually getting out and seeing different people and different things.”

Foundation apprenticeship workplace experience

The placement aspect of the apprenticeship was the highlight for Drew.

From October to April, he worked with Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) North East, where he assisted with tasks for various teams across the whole organisation.

He said: “You’re used to school and being told what to do, whereas in the office you are trusted more. You’re always given the chance to show what you can do, and this is what made it such a good learning experience.”

Drew also got the chance to support DYW at school events, including teaching cooking skills to younger pupils at St Machar Academy and helping at career fairs.

It wasn’t until halfway through S6 and his Foundation Apprenticeship that Drew started to get a feel for what he wanted to do after school. Although he had applied for university, he realised this wasn’t the right route for him.

Career opportunities

As well as providing Drew with work experience, DYW were also able to support Drew with opportunities for his next steps.

He said: “I mentioned that I quite liked accountancy, so DYW passed on posts about Graduate Apprenticeships for different accountancy firms, and I was able to apply for them.”

Drew successfully secured an Accounting Apprenticeship, JC Futures, with Johnston Carmichael in 2023 and has just completed his first year in his new role.

Johnston Carmichael’s, JC Futures programme, is a professional accounting apprenticeship over a four – six-year period and offers a training opportunity providing a direct pathway for school or college leavers to become fully qualified accountants.

Drew will soon start the degree-side of the apprenticeship through Robert Gordon University and by 2029, will be a Chartered Accountant.

Work placement skills

Drew felt that the skills gained from his work placement helped prepare him for the Graduate Apprenticeship and his career.

He said: “Without the work placement, you wouldn’t know how to juggle all these different things – work, study, social life.”

DYW were impressed with Drew and the hard work he demonstrated during his time there.

Margo Milne, Director at DYW North East, said: “It was a delight having Drew with us for the placement element of his Foundation Apprenticeship in Business Skills. From day one he felt like part of our team, with an unfailingly positive attitude to learning and a cheerful disposition.

“We were very pleased that we could give him practical, hands-on exposure to bring his learning to life. At DYW, our work centres on helping young people gain awareness of career pathways, so we were also able to share information with Drew about the different routes to his career of choice in accountancy.

“We were thrilled when he pursued and gained a place on the Johnston Carmichael apprenticeship programme, JC Futures – it really is the perfect progression path for him.”

Why choose a Foundation Apprenticeship?

Drew recommends a Foundation Apprenticeship, particularly for pupils who are unsure of their plans after school.

He said: “I don’t think it’s a hard decision, it gives you such good experience. If you’re not too sure about what you want to do, then I would definitely recommend a Foundation Apprenticeship because it gives you an insight into working while you’re still studying. You’re able to get an idea and get some experience under your belt.”