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Accounting

SW Group School Leaver Programme, Accountancy - Guildford (Sept 2027)

S&W
Location
Guildford
Salary
Competitive
Level
Level 4 – Higher
Qualification
Level 7
Start date
1 September 2027
Minimum grades
A Level: Predicted or obtained minimum 112 UCAS points in top three A Levels (or equivalent), excluding General Studies. GCSE: Minimum Grade 5 (or equivalent) in English Language and Maths

About the role

Starting your career is about more than just a job. It's about the people you learn from, the relationships you build and the experiences that shape you. At S&W, you'll be given meaningful responsibility from the start, alongside the support and guidance needed to help you succeed. You'll learn from experienced colleagues, develop valuable professional skills and build confidence as your career progresses. As part of the Business Outsourcing Services team, you will be working with clients and their finance teams or bookkeepers, helping them with their year-end accounts, management accounts, bookkeeping, VAT returns and cloud accounting software support. Your work will include working as part of a team to provide clients with a range of services including statutory accounts, bookkeeping, management accounts, VAT returns, software implementation and 'health-checks' of their systems.

Requirements

Be committed to working towards the Level 4 Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), a Level 7 professional qualification. No previous experience in accountancy, finance or professional services is required. You'll be someone who is curious, eager to learn and open to new challenges, enjoys working with others and building positive relationships, has a keen eye for detail and enjoys solving problems, is proactive and looks for ways to make a positive contribution, and takes ownership of their development and is motivated to achieve their goals.

Skills

AccountingBookkeepingVAT returnsCloud accounting softwareClient relationship managementProblem-solvingAttention to detailTeam collaboration

Required qualifications

Essential
A Level · Any · Grade 112 UCAS points
Essential
GCSE · English Language · Grade 5
Essential
GCSE · Maths · Grade 5
Essential
AAT · Accountancy · Grade Level 4
Essential
ACCA · Accountancy · Grade Level 7

Training & development

You will receive first-class professional training as you study for the Associate of Tax Technicians (ATT) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) qualifications which will enable you to gain a full understanding of the technical aspects of audit, accountancy, and additional financial advisory services. You'll be supported throughout your qualification journey with a leading UK training provider, dedicated study time and practical experience that complements your learning. You'll join as part of a cohort and benefit from a strong support network that includes experienced colleagues, a buddy and the Learning & Development team. You will also receive internal training from the professional services learning and development team.
Future prospects
By the second year, you will be taking on a more senior role and helping to supervise the new intake of trainees. As your experience grows, you may have opportunities to experience other ad hoc assignments that clients request assistance with such as one-off software implementation projects, cloud accounting software 'health-checks' or client secondments to assist their finance function.

Company benefits

Fully funded training towards professional qualifications, Competitive salary, Private medical insurance, Life assurance, Pension contribution, Generous holiday package, Option to purchase additional holiday, Cycle to work scheme, Season ticket loan, Eye care support, Shared parental leave