Jessi-Lou Baker is training to be a chartered accountant after figuring out she was better off becoming an apprentice rather than running up a debt at university.
The 21-year-old from Leigh-on-Sea joined national housebuilder Bellway in 2021 as a finance apprentice despite being told by a careers officer that her future prospects would be improved by having a degree.
And her decision is already paying dividends after she was highly commended in Bellway’s Apprentice of the Year Awards. Jessi-Lou, who works for Bellway’s Essex division at its head office in Chelmsford, was one of just four apprentices nationwide to be honoured in this year’s awards.
She said: “It’s lovely to win this prestigious award which is open to all apprentices in the company and it is nice to know that my efforts on a daily basis are appreciated by senior management.
“I think winning this award and my progress so far has vindicated my decision to ignore what the careers officer told me and to follow my own convictions by becoming an apprentice.
“I have always been good with numbers and knew while I was still at school that I wanted to become a chartered accountant. Some of my friends went to university but I wanted to start earning money as soon as I could. I didn’t want to stay in the classroom for another three years and then end up in the situation of not having a guaranteed job and being saddled with a debt.
“I live at home with my parents and like being able to contribute by paying board and love being in control of my own finances. Being an apprentice means I am earning while I am learning and that really suits me as I am already progressing in my chosen career.”
Jessi-Lou is halfway through her four-year finance apprenticeship after which she hopes to qualify as a chartered accountant. She works in the office four days a week with one day a week studying online at home.
“Bellway have been brilliant and supported me every step of the way and are providing me with all the training I need to enable me to pass my exams and qualify,” she said. “Before I joined them, I was working at a property management company where I had to pay for my own training which I did with money that I earned and saved from my Saturday job at Argos while I was still at school.”
As a finance trainee, Jessi-Lou is involved in all aspects of the management accounts and works to try to ensure that all financial targets are hit and budgets are adhered to.
“Last year when a colleague went on maternity leave they asked me if I thought I could handle looking after the accounts in her place,” said Jessi-Lou. “It was a massive learning curve but with the support of my line manager, the Finance Director Jonathan Bridges, I have managed to do the job. It was great that Bellway trusted in my ability but also gave me the help to enable me to succeed.
“Being a woman in the construction industry is not an issue for me because the gender split in the head office where I work is about 50-50. I know that on some construction sites a woman can be the only female in that workplace but these days everyone just gets on with it and it’s not such an issue, which is how it should be.”
Laura Bell, Bellway Group Senior Organisational Development Manager, said: “Right from the start Jessi-Lou showed her determination to pursue her chosen career path by using her own savings to pay for her exams. We saw that amazing drive in her and that is part of the reason we offered her a place on our apprenticeship scheme.
“We are always on the look-out for the best talent and we think that we have a real gem in Jessi-Lou. Her commitment to the job is total and the excellent work she produces has been recognised in our annual Bellway Apprentice of the Year Awards. She has a very bright future ahead of her at Bellway.”
