Summary As a Financial Management Apprentice with Durham County Council, you will learn from and work alongside some amazing and talented people, develop your skills and grow as a person and professional. Wage £14,526.20 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab) Training course Assistant accountant (level 3) Hours Monday to Friday normal office hours with flexible and hybrid working available where suitable. 37 hours a week Start date Monday 7 September 2026 Duration 3 years Positions available 1 Work Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience. What you'll do at work Develop the post holder to contribute towards the provision of high-quality financial information, including assisting with budget forecasting, projecting expenditure and income, budget building, and budgetary control information Enable the post holder to ensure that consideration is given at all times to achieving Best Value and the most efficient ways of working Develop the post holder to assist in the monitoring of the council’s budgetary control system - including the input of journal entry corrections, processing of routine recharges and other data into the Financial Management Ledger System Develop the post holder to monitor and reconcile holding/suspense accounts on a monthly basis, maintaining effective supporting working papers Where you'll work Rivergreen Centre Aykley Heads Durham DH1 5TS Training Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills. Training provider NEW COLLEGE DURHAM Training course Assistant accountant (level 3) Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab) What you'll learn Course contents Assist with the investigation and response to financial information queries. Record and analyse financial data using the organisation’s standard tools and processes. Apply double entry bookkeeping and accounting standards to process financial documents, generate financial statements and report financial information to users of accounts. Assist with production of accurate financial information for the preparation of accounts. Reconcile financial data, such as, preparation of reconciliations or review of reconciliations. Investigate, resolve or escalate transactional queries and errors within their remit as appropriate. Develop and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders. Communicate financial information in a way that non-finance stakeholders can interpret and understand. Utilise digital skills to present key financial information using finance and accounting software and applications. Use software packages to assist with basic accounting tasks in line with cyber and data security requirements, using data securely and safely, including backing up data. Communicate using varying approaches and different media methods with an appreciation of the risks and benefits to the business of social media and other digital applications. Assist with the investigation and response to financial information queries. Record and analyse financial data using the organisation’s standard tools and processes. Apply double entry bookkeeping and accounting standards to process financial documents, generate financial statements and report financial information to users of accounts. Assist with production of accurate financial information for the preparation of accounts. Reconcile financial data, such as, preparation of reconciliations or review of reconciliations. Investigate, resolve or escalate transactional queries and errors within their remit as appropriate. Develop and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders. Communicate financial information in a way that non-finance stakeholders can interpret and understand. Utilise digital skills to present key financial information using finance and accounting software and applications. Use software packages to assist with basic accounting tasks in line with cyber and data security requirements, using data securely and safely, including backing up data. Communicate using varying approaches and different media methods with an appreciation of the risks and benefits to the business of social media and other digital applications. Training schedule You will study towards the Accounts/Finance Assistant Level 2 standard progressing to Assistant Accountant Level 3 standard with a trusted training provider. Requirements Essential qualifications GCSE in: English (grade 9-4) Maths (grade 9-4) Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know. Skills Communication skills IT skills Problem solving skills Team working About this employer Durham County Council is the largest council in the North East, we employ over 16,000 people and have a budget of around £1.3 billion which helps us provide services for more than 513,000 people. We are a forward-looking council and recognise that we need passionate people who share our enthusiasm to deliver fantastic services to the people of County Durham. http://www.durham.gov.uk (opens in new tab) Company benefits • We offer a wide range of rewards and benefits, including a generous annual leave entitlement. Find out more information here Disability Confident A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions. You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview. After this apprenticeship There will be progression opportunities throughout the apprenticeship and the apprentice will still work towards completion of the apprenticeship if they are successful in gaining a new role. Ask a question The contact for this apprenticeship is: Durham County Council Ellen Burrell ellen.burrell@durham.gov.uk The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000017699.