Finance Assistant Review

Item: Finance Assistant at Oasis Community Learning
Rating: 4.9
Author: Anonymous

at Oasis Community Learning

Level 3 Apprenticeship

Accounting, Finance, Government, Procurement, Purchasing and Supply, Teaching

Oldham

Review Submitted: December 2025

Overall Rating

4.9 /5

The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!

4.5/5 - Overview of Role

5/5 - Skills Development

5/5 - Structure and Support

Overview of Role

Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

5/5

I manage purchase orders for academies across the North West, when these order are requested by the individual academy I process them through our PO system making sure we follow set procedures at each stage of the job in accordance with the annual budgeting requirements Oasis Community Learning is allocated, through this job I liaise with various stakeholders the academies are in contract with to facilitate PO and Invoicing.

To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

4/5

Initially like any job at a new environment it comes with it's challenges, I would describe my first month to be very hectic and definitely stressful as It was very hard getting accustomed to the job as I had no idea of the things I would be be responsible for on a day to day basis but without name dropping I would say the entire team has been very helpful in supporting me - even now I can make mistakes but I always know where I can go for help.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

5/5

I've developed strong Communication skills as I respond to enquiries via email communications and phone calls to resolve invoices from various suppliers - also I'm familiar with the academies themselves as I am in good contact with the staff teams/teachers.
Attention to minute details is a must for error checking and minimising mistakes when posting invoices, making sure the correct values are allocated.
Time management and definitely having solid Organisational skills is something which I've developed much closely on the job - noting down all the tasks I have for the upcoming days so I am able to stay on track is very helpful.

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?

5/5

The apprenticeship is with an external provider so I had lots of guidance at each stage of the onboarding process which I can also refer back on their website FAQ page or I also have the option to contact them directly if there is anything I'm unsure of.
I had an induction meeting with a Kaplan Advisor who summarised the expectations of the apprenticeship in detail which I was very happy about as this meant I could be aware of the programme before I even started the course.

How much support do you receive from your employer?

5/5

My team has been very supportive from the start and are very understanding when mistakes happen, even when they have their toes tipped in everything they manage to make time to help me when I'm stuck. I owe them a lot as a result.

How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

5/5

I have mandatory meeting with our 'Talent Coach' which happens every few weeks or so where I am comfortable in asking them for help and making sure I'm on track of the work - also the tutors I imagine I can ask for help during class time.

How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

5/5

I will have more in depth knowledge about the financial & accounting processes I deal at work - this will prepare me to understand context of the options I have when I encounter something new at work.

Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

5/5

Not yet but I'm open to anything which develops my skills in and out of work.

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend Oasis Community Learning to a friend?

Yes

Why?

Because OCL is a trust which really puts the 9 core habits at the heart of everything they do and I have experienced this first hand, also the people are supportive and nice to speak to.