Arman Khan walked into our Glasgow centre at seventeen and completed his AAT qualification while still at school. Most teenagers are focused on A levels, friends, weekend plans, or what to watch on Netflix. He was thinking about his career.

‘I wanted to develop my skills before everyone else,’ he told us. Not to catch up but to get ahead.

We all have our schedules, our obligations, and our lives seemingly sorted, so stepping outside that comfort zone is no small task. Add in the fear of failure, and many adults second-guess enrolling in training.

Whilst others might procrastinate and debate, he acted while balancing the demands of schoolwork and teenage life. He went on to complete his qualification, recognising the need to stand out in one of the UK’s most competitive industries.

To learn more, we sat down with him to talk openly about the challenges he faced and the helpful, sometimes surprisingly simple, solutions that helped him along the way.

I Don’t Want to Look Foolish

‘Will I embarrass myself? What will the other students think? Am I too old to take these courses?’ These questions come up regularly when people consider enrolling in training or pursuing professional development.

These concerns make sense. Learning new skills often involves rearranging your schedule, planning for additional expenses, or stepping out of your comfort zone. ‘I’m too busy, now’s not a good time.’ ‘Taking a class is expensive.’ ‘I’m intimidated.’ Balancing a day job with family, social life, and other responsibilities takes planning. Cost is a genuine consideration for many. Venturing outside your comfort zone can feel uncomfortable.

But taking a course can be the step toward that promotion you’ve been aiming for or lay the foundation for a complete career change. The potential benefits often outweigh the initial hesitation.

Arman approached these same challenges differently. He focused on what he wanted, not what might go wrong. ‘There’s a lot of competition in the financial industry, and it’s very hard to get jobs. So, I wanted to start early; that way, I have something unique about my skillset that no one else has.’

While he’d never studied accounting before, that didn’t deter him. Numbers had always come naturally, and he was ready to take the leap. Where many people might spend months researching options or weighing up risks, he moved into action.

‘I wasn’t really scared, I was curious. I’d never taken accounting classes before, so I didn’t really know what it was going to be like. I just wanted to learn more about them.’

His experience shows that the biggest barrier to training often isn’t age, background, or qualifications. It’s getting out of your own way and embracing something new.

The Reality

Balancing training with managing school wasn’t always easy. ‘At times, it was difficult to balance school, life, and training all at the same time.’

His parents helped him stay consistent. Our centre staff, including Caroline, the Centre Director, Lynn, the Senior Learning Coach, and Paige, the Learning Coach, all supported him when concepts proved challenging, and Arman made clever use of technology, turning artificial intelligence into his personal tutor.

This wasn’t just a matter of quick internet searches. Arman used AI to simplify complex definitions, work through problems step by step, and get explanations that made sense to him. When he got stuck on accounting concepts, he’d ask for different ways to understand the same idea until something clicked.

‘When I was stuck on a question, I would use it to give me advice on how to do better next time and tell me what I got wrong. ChatGPT would show me how the concept worked and how to understand it for the next time.’

Arman discovered that many learners are finding that these tools can work as on-demand study partners. They don’t replace teachers or proper training programmes, but they fill gaps. Answering questions at midnight, explaining things differently when the first explanation doesn’t work, and giving learners confidence to tackle more complex concepts.

For someone juggling school and professional qualifications, having that extra layer of support made the difference. Making it possible to study at all times, get help as needed, and keep moving forward after-hours when the centre was closed for the day.

It’s the same kind of adaptive learning that’s proving useful for working professionals taking evening courses, parents studying around family schedules, or anyone trying to fit training into a busy life.

Unexpected Benefits

His studies taught him more than accounting principles. ‘I learned a lot more about paying attention to details. This is so very important, especially in this field – you must pay attention to the details and the numbers because even the smallest mistake can mess up your work.’

He was also surprised by how approachable it all felt. The modules built on each other logically, nothing felt overwhelming, and he could see his progress.

Then came exam day. ‘I was shaking walking out,’ he recalls. ‘I was surprised five minutes later that I passed!’

He wishes he’d prepared a bit more, but that moment of success made everything worthwhile.

Now, when people ask him about taking on professional training, he tells them: ‘People might think it’s hard to stay consistent, but you can do it. I did. Just put in a little bit of work every day – that’s the trick. Putting in a little bit daily will balance everything out.’

He’s also convinced that school alone isn’t enough anymore. ‘Try to get ahead of the game. Pursue school because it will help you get far, but you also need other things to stand out.’

Looking ahead, he knows his qualification will ‘give me a good competitive edge when I apply for jobs, degree apprenticeships and uni – something to make me stand out on my CV.’

Most seventeen-year-olds are still working out what they want to do. He’s built the skills to do it and isn’t stopping there – degree apprenticeships and university are next on his list.

Whilst it may be challenging, graduating from Pitman Training as a teenager or in your early twenties is not impossible, and Arman is one outstanding young graduate who shows us that passion, focus, and the drive to get ahead and stand out can make anything possible.

We’re proud and honoured by him, and all of our graduates who show us that age is truly just a number. Many students face unique challenges, but they press on to pursue their dreams and achieve them, and even if you weren’t reading before your first birthday or breaking world records, you can be inspired by their motivation and find ways to bring their drive into your own life.