Accounting apprentice Missy Knowles is thriving in her apprenticeship at Silver & Co Accountants, based in Bridgnorth.

Previously a student at Bridgnorth Endowed School, Missy decided to apply for an apprenticeship as soon as she finished year 11, starting off as a business administration apprentice.

Silver & Co Accountants are an established, family-run accountancy firm with offices dedicated to supporting businesses across Shropshire, Staffordshire and the West Midlands.

“Maths was always my favourite subject at school” says Missy. “I love problem solving and I knew I wanted to start a career where I could work closely with numbers.

“I wanted to work straight away, getting first-hand experience whilst studying in an industry from day one, as opposed to studying A levels full-time. I approached the college to see if they had any vacancies, they found me the role at Silver & Co Accountants and helped me prepare for the interview.

“My day-to-day tasks involve a lot of payroll work for our clients, as well as calculating VAT, invoicing and general admin within the office. I have a great relationship with my boss, he’s there to support me with anything I need. I feel really valued at the company, it’s a nice little community and I get along with everybody I work with.

“I enjoy my day studying at college, our tutor Slav is great with supporting us in our theory work. All the other apprentices work in all different kinds of settings too, so we learn from each other’s experiences at different companies.

“After my current studies, I hope to progress to a level 3 apprenticeship whilst continuing to work here. It’s a fantastic workplace and I have absolutely no intention of leaving anytime soon.”

Missy also received a highly commended award at our annual student awards in 2024.

To those who want to pursue an apprenticeship, Missy emphasises how important it is to earn while you learn. “It’s hard work, but if you keep progressing and stick to it, an apprenticeship is very rewarding. You’re getting incredible first-hand experience whilst being able to afford important things, like a car.”

Paul Silver, managing director at Silver & Co Accountants, said: “To begin with, Missy demonstrated an excellent ability to pick up a task and get straight to work. Within a very short time, she was engaging with other staff across our different offices and starting to self-manage her timetable and tasks.

“The distinction grade she achieved at the end of her business administration apprenticeship was well deserved and all of her colleagues were very proud.  She then started her current apprenticeship and, using the skills developed in her business administration studies, she has been able to complete each exam stage with very good results.

“The process of hiring an apprentice was simple and easy to manage. After listing a job outline on the apprenticeship website in July, we interviewed three potential candidates suggested by the college.  Missy was selected and joined the team the following August. Her determination to succeed in her studies is incredible to see, whilst our clients often praise and comment on her hard work.

“We recognised Missy very early on as a potential employee on completion of her apprenticeship, and she is now a highly valued member of the team at Silver & Co.”

Are you looking to fill any skills gaps in your workforce? Contact our team to hire an apprentice today.