Internal Audit Professional Apprenticeship - MSc

Daniel Frazer
Course - MSc Internal Audit Professional Apprenticeship
Start date - September 2020, Part-time, Mature student

An apprenticeship provides the flexibility to get paid alongside gaining a qualification. For Daniel, this was a great opportunity to both learn the theoretical knowledge and apply it in the work place to become a well-rounded professional.

As a mature student, the ability to work part-time alongside working towards a qualification was a huge inducement for me. The Internal Audit Professional apprenticeship at Birmingham City University proposed the most robust and clearly laid out path that can be taken, in tandem with my employer, to fully develop my knowledge and abilities within an internal audit function.

The apprenticeship provides the building blocks and theoretical knowledge needed to become an internal audit professional within the world of business. This scale of learning is invaluable compared to general workplace training, whereby you are taught how to perform your role within that company specially rather than an internal audit professional.

The campus grounds and buildings are impressive, but most importantly the knowledge and approachability of the staff is second to none. They provide a relaxed atmosphere and adopt a collaborative approach between staff and students. This helps to develop an atmosphere where questions can be asked freely which is essential when starting a subject from scratch.

From personal experience, I have found that studying an apprenticeship not only enables you to cross-reference the theoretical learning with real world practical implications, but provides the opportunities for networking and seeing how the role is performed within other organisations.

Returning to studies can seem daunting, especially after years working full-time, however, provided that you are serious about the time commitments required it can be a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I would recommend Birmingham City University to anyone wishing to undertake a similar apprenticeship.

Sarah Vause
Course - MSc Internal Audit Management and Consultancy
Start date - September 2020, Part-time, Mature

Sarah’s career in Internal Audit Management began over 13 years ago after she graduated university with a Business and Management degree. She’s a huge believer in continuous learning being the key to a successful career. So Sarah decided to embark on her apprenticeship journey at Birmingham City University.

The Internal Audit Management and Consultancy apprenticeship has combined learning academic theory with working in a professional environment. This provides the opportunity to put what you’re learning into immediate practice within the workplace.

I chose to study part-time at BCU because it is the only university in the UK that offers a level 7 apprenticeship that has opportunities to achieve additional qualifications, such as a Master’s degree, a qualification in Internal Audit Leadership and Chartered Internal Auditor status, and is recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the Institute of Internal Audit.

The support from staff is excellent. They provide regular feedback on performance in the lead up to module assessments, helping you to identify the key areas you need to work on to ensure you get the most out of your time at BCU. For both part-time and full-time apprentices, there’s so much support available, from personal development through to financial and mental health and wellbeing.

The collaboration between both the University and my employer, M Group Services, work seamlessly to support my development throughout the apprenticeship. We meet quarterly to discuss my progress and next steps together to help me get the most out of my apprenticeship.

As a mature student with two children needing to balance work, study and the day to day running of a home seemed like a daunting prospect. Upon starting the apprenticeship, I’ve realised with the right support, there is nothing to worry about. If life gets in the way or your circumstances change, there will always be someone you can speak to for help and guidance.