Young Difference Makers: Jas Rayat on how choosing an apprenticeship over university changed her career

For Jas Rayat curiosity lit the first spark: how do businesses actually work, and why does finance feel like the spine that keeps them upright? From that question grew a bold choice—skip the university track, embrace an apprenticeship, and earn a chartered accountancy qualification while gaining real experience. We walk through the turning points of that decision, the early wins of earning while learning, and the confidence that comes from solving real problems long before graduation day would have arrived.

The conversation digs into social mobility with clear, practical stakes. Growing up without accountants in our immediate circle meant no ready-made roadmap, so research and outreach became essential tools. That journey now fuels a mission to widen access: explain credible routes like ICAEW apprenticeships, share the hidden curriculum of interviews and workplace codes, and model what it looks like to progress without a traditional degree. Along the way, we explore how early exposure to clients, month-end pressure, and audit realities can build judgement faster than textbooks, and why that compounding experience pays off when peers are just starting out.

A visit to One Young World in Munich adds urgency and perspective. Bob Geldof’s line—grit makes the pearl—anchors the reality that effort, not ideal conditions, creates breakthroughs. Maria Ressa’s stand for information integrity shows what courage looks like under pressure, and why clarity and truth are non-negotiable for lasting change. We translate those lessons into steps you can take today: start before you feel ready, ask your network for small, specific help, look for apprenticeships tied to recognised bodies, and treat action as the teacher that confidence follows.

If you’re weighing apprenticeship vs university, seeking a career reset, or driven to open doors for others, this story offers a grounded blueprint. Subscribe for more purpose-led career journeys, share this with someone on the fence about their next step, and leave a review with the first action you’ll take this week.

Transcript

Passion For Social Mobility

Jaspreet Rayat 0:00

I hope that I am in a sphere where I'm doing something that I'm truly passionate about, particularly social mobility. I never ever want someone's background to ever limit them achieving their potential. Hi, I'm Jaz Rayat and I'm representing ICAW at the One Young World Summit in Munich, Germany. So the way I got into chartered accountancy was at 18 I had an option of university or perhaps something else. Now I always had an interest in numbers, in finance, how businesses work, and whenever you step out the door, you see you always see a business of some shape or kind, whether it's the small local salin or the multinational retailer around the corner. So for me, seeing these businesses, it really made me curious as to what makes them work. And I always saw finance as the spine to keep these companies standing up and strong. Through that curiosity and through my interest in business, in numbers, accountancy seemed like a natural fit. So at 18 I decided to explore an apprenticeship to get on-the-job experience to see what a career in accountancy would be like. And it was on that apprenticeship that I really enjoyed it. I also discovered that you can become a fully qualified chartered accountant through the apprenticeship route, which for me was an amazing discovery to find. I knew that I wanted to be a chartered accountant during that time, and so I continued on the apprenticeship route all the way to becoming a chartered accountant with the ICIEWICE. So when I was growing up, I didn't actually know anyone in my immediate circle who was a chartered accountant. I didn't really have that career advice from the network around me. It was through my own curiosity that I went out of my way to really try and explore accountancy and the route. When I discovered that you can become a fully qualified chartered accountant and pursue this amazing career path that is rewarding in so many ways, it was almost like a penny drop. And I thought, wow, so you're telling me that I can become a qualified accountant with all the credentials that are needed to be successful in that field without having to pursue another couple of years of education at university. For me, that was amazing. I was able to gain on-the-job experience in a field that I was truly interested in. I gained an apprenticeship salary, and when I was actually working within accounting firms, we would have new joiners who had just finished their degrees. However, I was a little bit further in my career, which was a great comfort to have that extra level of knowledge to really propel my career forwards. And one of the biggest comforts and advantages was the fact that with an apprenticeship I had no student debt. I'm not sure if I've ever attended such a motivational speech in my entire life. They were truly moving, and they were from some legendary people. We had Sir Bob Geldoff. I particularly liked his speeches. They were so raw and authentic, and you could tell that he was truly passionate about making a difference in the world, especially supporting one of the UN's sustainable development goals, which was world hunger. I also really enjoyed a talk from Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Reza. And she is an absolute warrior for information integrity, completely dissolving any uh bias out there, and the absolute courage, bravery, fortitude she has had to progress through some of the extreme hardships that have stood in her way to ensure that the right information reaches the public to stand up in the face of truth, despite risking her own life to do that. That was remarkable to hear. The fact that I heard that live in person from someone that extraordinary gives me goosebumps. A key one that I remember from Sir Bob Geldoff was it is grit that makes the pearl. And that was just a stark reminder of things aren't going to be easy, but if you put in the work, if you put in the effort and you just keep going, if you're truly passionate about something and you are working extremely hard to make it happen, you will see the results one day. You will see the pearl. So 10 years is a very long time away, but if I could look into the future, I hope that I am in a sphere where I'm doing something I'm truly passionate about, particularly social mobility, helping ensure that people from disadvantaged backgrounds do not miss out on opportunities to create success for themselves, to achieve their potentials, achieve their ambitions, and never be held back by the fact they didn't grow up in the right area or go to the most prestigious schools or they didn't have the right financial background. I never ever want someone's background to ever limit them achieving their potential. If I were to give some advice to young professionals wanting to create positive change, I would say just start. There's never going to be a perfect moment. You create the moment. You just need to start. When I started out and I gave my, I was on my first panel speaking to students, I truly never felt 100% ready. I always felt like, oh, maybe I could prepare in a different way, or maybe there's something else I can do. But in the end, I just went for it, I just did it, and it turned out perfect as it was because you make the moment you create it. And something else I would add is reaching out to your network, maybe reaching out to friends for advice. Sometimes you just need to start small, and the best advice can come from the most unexpected places. Sometimes it can be just something simple as have you have you met so-and-so, or have you thought about maybe posting online, or have you thought about going onto this website, they've got a lot of resources. So don't think that it has to be complicated to get started. Just start in whatever way, shape, or form that may look like for you. Whether that's researching online, whether that's speaking to your friends, whether that's speaking to someone in your organizations, just do something positive and start. People who have gone through such adversity that it's unimaginable, and yet they've persevered to reach where they are today, to reach levels of success and do the almost impossible considering everything that they've been through. That to me has been genuinely so inspiring and so uplifting and so motivational, and it's actually given me strength to think, wow, if they can do that, I can at least try and do something. So when it comes to considering future endeavors from this program, I am absolutely empowered by all the stories I've heard, all the people I've met, and knowing that things are possible. Things may not always be as hard as they seem, and I always remember that it is grit that makes the pearl.