Evelyn Armstrong – AAT Level 2 and 3

Name: Evelyn Armstrong

Course Name: Level 2 and 3 AAT Accounting

Course Type: Online and Distance Learning

Image caption: NWSLC student Evelyn Armstrong
Evelyn Armstrong has loved Accounting since high school but was unable to pursue her dream career within accountancy in South Africa. She enrolled in a Level 2 AAT Accounting online course in June 2021 at NWSLC and passed her exam in September 2021 with a distinction. She is now enrolled on the online Level 3 AAT Accounting course using funding provided through the new Governments Lifetime Skills Guarantee , with the aim of progressing up to level 4.

When she moved to the UK in 2002, she held a range of jobs in customer service, sales and marketing and then spent more than 10 years with her own media company which included the very popular GEM Magazine. She watched revenue from advertising die away as larger firms adopted online advertising policies and switched her energy to establishing an Italian restaurant and prosecco bar, BOTTEGA Birmingham, located at the NIA in Birmingham. However, due to COVID and with the Hospitality industry facing challenges, she decided to close her business after one year and pursue her original dream career in finance.

Being a mum of two children with SEND, she has found the online course has given her the flexibility to learn around her other commitments.

Evelyn said ‘I have always been proactive, and to close down my restaurant really impacted my self-esteem and self-confidence as I had invested time and money into it. I didn’t want to let it go. As a mature learner, I now know what I want to accomplish. I have basic knowledge in accounting, bookkeeping and payroll, but I needed more knowledge and experience to set me off on the right foot.’

‘At the beginning, juggling home life and study was a real challenge, but my tutors really helped boost my confidence and self-esteem. And I am truly thankful for their enthusiasm and support to get me through my qualification. I got into the course — I was so passionate about studying and working my way through the qualification to become a qualified accountant.’

Once Evelyn finishes her levels 3 and 4 qualifications she aspires to work in accountancy or bookkeeping for a firm, with the aim to set up her own practice in the future. As she says, ‘You can’t stop me now! Thanks to this course, there’s a brighter and better future ahead of me.’

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