A fast-growing chartered accountancy firm is looking to boost its numbers by launching a search for new apprentices after taking on a raft of new clients.
Spearheading the drive at Coxeys, which employs nearly 40 people at its offices in Wrexham, Saltney and Chester, is trainee Molly Adams, 20, who scored 92 per cent in her latest exam.
With its sights set on further expansion, the firm is looking to recruit two new apprentices as the next generation of accountants which it can train with a view to them eventually taking over the reins in future years.
In addition to Molly, they can currently boast three other young trainees already on the path to high flying accountancy careers.
Molly joined Coxey’s in September 2022 after attaining her A-levels at Bishop Heber High School near Chester.
She said: “In my mid-teens I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I had vague ideas about becoming a marine biologist, but I quickly gave up on that. Eventually I realised that I liked working with figures and the prospect of a career in accountancy really appealed to me.
“I could have gone to university but having researched the apprenticeship route it was definitely the best option for me.
“It means you are not only paid while training, but each day offers you real life of experience of the job..
“Everyone at Coxeys is so supportive and the level of training is second to none. It’s a really in-depth apprenticeship scheme and you come out at the end with professional qualifications that are recognised all around the world. I feel so lucky, I don’t think I could have made a better choice.”
Molly has just signed up to study for her Level 4 certificate with the Association of Accounting Technicians, a professional body with more than 124,000 students and members around the globe.
She has already secured her Levels 2 and 3, having attained an incredible 92 percent in her Level 3 examination.
She said: “I was so pleased. I needed more than 70 percent to pass but I never expected to come out with such a high score. It is a real confidence booster and has fired up my ambitions to go on to the next stage.”
Coxey’s director Joanne Evans said: “Molly has a natural affinity with all things accountancy related. It’s like her brain just automatically tunes in and understands whatever issue we are talking about at the time. We are all so proud of her, she’s a real ray of sunshine, a great personality to have around the office, everyone loves her.
Molly has proved a perfect role model for the newest member of Coxey’s apprenticeship team in Wrexham, Freddie Burrows. Now aged 18, he joined the company 10 months ago as a school leaver from Ysgol Dinas Bran, Llangollen.
He said: “It’s definitely the best move I’ve made. When I learned about the apprenticeship scheme at Coxey’s it just felt immediately right.
“Since I’ve been here I’ve felt much more confident that I’m on a positive career path. They say experience is key to learning any skill and the fact that we are learning on the job means that we are gathering a wealth of real life experience. It’s not just theory but we see the actual effects of what we do, what accountancy means in people’s day to day lives, how it is key to their businesses and livelihoods.
“I would definitely recommend a quality apprenticeship scheme like this to any young person who like me didn’t feel comfortable with the university route. As I see it, my whole future has been turned around, I can now envisage a clear way forwards.”
In addition to Molly and Freddie in Wrexham, they have two other young recruits on the road to success based in their Chester offices, Abi Hollins, 24, and Jared Swart, 28.
Abi, a former pupil of Connah’s Quay High School, said: “I applied to Coxey’s and have not looked back since day one. The training is top rate and there is always someone around to support you in your studies. Everyone is happy to help you progress.”
Abi has passed all her Association of Accounting Technicians qualifications and is now at Association of Certified Chartered Accountants level.
She said: “I definitely would not be at the stage I am at if I had not joined Coxey’s.”
Fellow Chester-based trainee Jared Swart, 28, took the university route upon leaving school Bishop’s Blue Coat School, Chester.
He graduated with a first class degree in finance and accounting from Leeds Beckett University.and followed that up by working on a six-month internship in Dubai, before returning to Chester.
He said: “Once I joined Coxey’s I realised the amazing value of experience right here on the job. I have learned so much from my fellow team members that cannot be taught in any college. They all have such a breadth of knowledge that every day is a learning experience.
“I also get a lot of pleasure from meeting our various clients working in all fields of business. Accountancy is as much about people as it is about figures.”
Director Joanne Evans agreed: “The philosophy of each member of staff supporting each other has been in the company’s make-up since its beginnings nearly 100 years ago. Every employee is valued from the most junior to the most senior.
“We have an excellent record when it comes to apprenticeships and we are determined to maintain our reputation for quality training well into the future. That’s why we are now recruiting, searching for new young talent to join our ranks during what is an exciting period of ongoing growth for the company.
Coxeys was originally founded in 1927 as W. Cross and Co but changed its name in 1974 when Michael Coxey took it over. Today it is headed up by Managing Director Anthony Lewis, a chartered accountant who first joined the company in 1998.
