Febe Cocosa is an accounting apprentice at BCD Travel, where she has built a successful career in finance through the apprenticeship route. After completing a Level 3 Assistant Accountant Apprenticeship with Damar Training, Febe has progressed to level 7 and achieved ACCA membership. Her journey from hospitality management to qualified accountant demonstrates how apprenticeships can provide a genuine pathway to professional success whilst balancing work, study and family life.
From the beginning: A change of direction
Before embarking on her apprenticeship, Febe was working as a bartender and team leader in a pub. Whilst she valued the experience, particularly the customer service skills and ability to work under pressure that the role developed, she knew it wasn’t a long-term career path.
“I enjoyed the job and learned a lot from it, especially around customer service and working under pressure, but I couldn’t see myself doing it for the rest of my life.” Febe explained. “I knew I wanted something with more opportunities for progression, so I started looking at other options.”
Exploring available options: The appeal of apprenticeships
With children to support, Febe needed a route into a new career that would allow her to continue earning whilst developing new skills. The apprenticeship model offered exactly that combination.
“I had kids, so I needed to be able to earn while I learned,” Febe said. “What attracted me to the apprenticeship was being able to study towards a qualification while gaining real work experience at the same time. It meant I could learn the theory but also immediately put it into practice in my day-to-day job.”
Looking back, Febe recognises that this hands-on experience was one of the biggest benefits of the apprenticeship approach. Rather than studying in isolation and balance learning with a job in another area, she was able to apply accounting principles directly to real business situations, making both the learning and the work more meaningful.
Starting with the right mindset: Learning and development
“I was actually quite optimistic before I started,” Febe recalled. “I knew I didn’t have the skills or experience that the role required, but that’s what made the apprenticeship appealing. My thinking was that everyone knew I was there to learn, so they wouldn’t expect me to know everything from day one. That took a bit of the pressure off.”
This mindset allowed Febe to feel comfortable asking questions and learning as she went, embracing the apprentice identity and using it to her advantage to absorb as much as possible from her colleagues and supervisor.
Results in action: Rapid skill development
“Excel was definitely the biggest skill I needed to pick up and develop early on in the apprenticeship,” Febe said. “Before starting, I did some basic Excel and Word training just to get myself familiar with it. Even things like using Outlook professionally and writing emails were completely new to me.”
Beyond the technical skills, Febe had to develop her organisation and time management capabilities rapidly. “Learning how to manage my time effectively and create a good balance between work and study was probably one of the most important skills I developed throughout the apprenticeship,” Febe reflected.
Theory meets practice: Understanding the why as well as the how
The formal training element of Febe’s apprenticeship provided crucial context for her day-to-day work. Whilst she was learning processes and completing tasks at BCD Travel, the apprenticeship helped her understand the ‘why’ behind those activities and the accounting principles that underpinned them.
“The formal training gave me the knowledge behind what I was doing day to day,” Febe explained. “At work, I was learning processes and completing tasks, but the apprenticeship helped me understand why things were done in a certain way and the accounting principles behind them.”
This deeper understanding gave Febe opportunities to identify areas where she could improve and think more critically about how she approached tasks.
The power of positive feedback: Removing the doubt and embracing the opportunity
One particular piece of feedback had a transformative impact on Febe’s confidence and willingness to stretch herself professionally.
“Early on, I sometimes doubted myself because I was learning everything from scratch. As I gained experience, managers and colleagues trusted me with more complex work and encouraged me to challenge myself. The feedback that probably had the biggest impact on me was being told that I was capable of taking on more responsibility than I thought I could,” Febe said.
This confidence from others helped Febe realise how much she had developed and made her more willing to step outside her comfort zone and take on new opportunities.
The results: Making an impact
Febe’s growing skills soon translated into tangible improvements for her team. When BCD Travel needed to update a large number of client contracts due to an issue with airline booking fees, the manual process was extremely time-consuming. Febe saw an opportunity to apply what she’d learned.
“Using the Excel skills I had developed during my apprenticeship, I found a way to automate some of the manual steps by using features such as text to columns and filtering,” Febe explained. “This made the job quicker and cut the time it took to complete the task by around half.”
The improvement helped the team meet a tight deadline and demonstrated how apprentice-developed skills can have immediate, practical impact.
“It was great to see a skill I had learned as an apprentice improve a process for the wider team,” Febe commented.
The next steps: Continuing the journey
Febe’s level 3 apprenticeship was just the beginning of her professional development. Since completing her initial apprenticeship with Damar Training, she has progressed onto a level 7 apprenticeship with the same employer, which she has now completed, achieving ACCA membership in the process.
“Looking back, it’s rewarding to see how far I’ve come since joining as an apprentice,” Febe reflected. “The apprenticeship gave me a strong foundation, and each step since then has built on the knowledge and skills I gained during those early years.”
Her progression from pub team leader to ACCA-qualified accountant demonstrates the genuine career opportunities that apprenticeships can provide for those willing to commit to the journey.
Commitment, effort and motivation: Advice for future apprentices
When asked what advice she would give to someone considering an apprenticeship, Febe is honest about both the challenges and the rewards.
“An apprenticeship requires commitment and motivation and good time management. There will be times when balancing work, study and personal life feel challenging. That said, it is incredibly rewarding. By the time you complete your apprenticeship, you’re not starting from square one. You’ve already gained and developed practical experience and professional skills and learned how to work effectively within a business.”
For Febe, the apprenticeship route offered something that traditional education couldn’t: the ability to earn whilst learning, to apply theory immediately to practice and to build a professional career without accumulating student debt. Her journey from hospitality to qualified accountant proves that with commitment, support and the right opportunities, apprenticeships can transform careers and lives.
“If you’re willing to put the effort in, an apprenticeship can be a fantastic way to build a career while continuing to earn and gain real-world experience.”