Advice for 17year old: how to become accountant

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My 17yo DS is in year 12, studying alevel maths, business and PE. He would like to become accountant or similar. He would love to go to uni to "live like a student" but I am telling him he can become an accountant without uni.
What is the best way to become an accountat? Is it important to have a uni degree?

He can try and get an Accountancy apprenticeship at 18 post A level or he can go to Uni and try and get one post degree, the degree subject isn't too important.
He needs to consider if getting into considerable debt with student loans (assuming he needs them) is worth it to end up in roughly the same place.

Most people go into accountancy post university as part of a graduate scheme.

That is assuming he wants to be a qualified accountant (there are two bodies which offer qualifications).

You can also work in accountancy at lower levels but you would not be an accountant, this would involve being either a tax technician

https://www.att.org.uk

Or getting the AAT (accountancy technician)

https://www.aat.org.uk/businesses-employers/train-develop-your-staff/accounting-bookkeeping-qualifications?utmterm=certificate%20in%20accounting&utmmcampaign=Employer%20Brand%20Awareness&utmsource=adwords&utmmmedium=ppc&hsaacc=1908286997&hsaacam=19889789889&hsagrp=154311000184&hsaaad=652601929402&hsasrc=g&hsaatgt=kwd-340034165966&hsakw=certificate%20in%20accounting&hsaamt=b&hsanet=adwords&hsaaver=3&gadsource=1&gbraid=0AAAAACPQ1B4IA1oTdvvTbweD8gb55c2dH&gclid=CjwKCAiAxqC6BhBcEiwAlXp459oQ4A4DjZqWGC0HxfY04Z95UbhVK0vCgJM8GzW5sVsbj6vm070ruBoCHHgQAvD_BwE

I took business studies in sixth form nearly 20 years ago. Even then my teacher told anyone who was interested in doing accountancy to speak to her and she would advise us via apprenticeships or university. She strongly reccomended the apprenticeship route. I'd imagine her advice would be the same with how expensive university is now.

Unless he's looking at a grad scheme I'd never recommend anyone go to university these days if they aspire to be an accountant. The levels of student debt are huge and you still come out with no experience. My preferred route, and the one I recommend is an AAT apprenticeship followed by ACCA or CIMA. It's not too difficult nowadays to get study support with an employer meaning you come away after a few years as a chartered accountant with plenty of experience, zero student loans and good employer references.

Both my DCs are accounts..They both got jobs with one of the big 4 accounting firms after they graduated.The company also employed Brightstarts who joined the company straight from school, which I'm guessing is the same as an apprenticeship.
A lot of accounting firms offer apprenticeships which ultimately lead to the same accounting qualifications. University isn't for everyone and an apprenticeship might appeal more to your DS.

I work in tax, in an accountancy firm. There is a massive shortage of accountants coming into the profession and many firms are paying high salaries for apprentices. I would be ringing round some close to you in the New Year asking what A levels they want and looking out for ope days. They often taken on 30 or more from certain sixth forms and colleges.n

My son did the higher apprenticeship route (with one if the Big Four) and loved it, and became qualified as a chartered accountant at the age of twenty four.

There’s lots of different aspects of accountenacy , so it’s worth looking at the career pages of the big companies in details.

You don’t have to study accountancy at university to get a graduate job later.

Have you seen the other thread that discusses the pros and cons of each route?

My DH studied AAT in evening classes at college, then got a trainee accountant position and worked his way up whilst continuing to study AAT (work funded) until he became chartered. he's now a director at the same company. there are lots of apprentice/trainee positions that will support study.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/5215724-deliotte-apprenticeship-aca-v-degree

Found it. Has lots of useful views, tips and advice on this threads.

You can get the Uni lifestyle in other ways and get paid for it. Before going to Uni I did a gap year / apprenticeship with an outdoor learning organisation, PGL, Kingswood, Robin Wood will probably all run similar things. Proper grown up adults as centre managers, chefs and head of house keeping but the rest of the staff will be under 23. Live together in dorms on site and eat after the centre visitors do or in staff houses in the nearby area and minibused in.

It wasn't well paid, wages were for personal spends and more like pocket money £250 a month (20 years ago) but all food and board was included as was work uniform. All qualifications were paid for Food Hygiene, H&S at Work, Coshh, Lifeguarding, climbing / high ropes and the NVQ in Activity Leadership.

After you do your year there was an option to move up to Duty Instructor or Senior Instructor and deal with more leadership style things. Lots of people I worked with went to uni after for teaching and children's nursing, some worked on cruise ships and the entertainment team overseas, a couple went to the Alps and become ski and winter hiking instructors, a couple to warmer climates to be scuba instructors

It was great fun and I spent a year leading ICT, environmental studies and outdoor activitys. I far preferred it to my actual uni experience.