Accounting Technician Apprenticeship (Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Accounting)

What is the Accounting Technician Apprenticeship?

The Accounting Technician Apprenticeship is a two-year, work-based learning programme which leads to a Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Accounting.

Places are awarded via a competitive interview process, where applicants who meet the minimum eligibility criteria (see below) are put forward to participating employers for consideration. If you are successful at interview stage, your new employer will issue you with a two-year contract and you start your apprenticeship in September 2018.

You will work four days a week in an office environment, and study one day a week at a local college.

These are:

• Blackrock Further Education Institute
• Bray Institute of Further Education
• Cork College of Commerce
• Coláisteíde College of Further Education (Finglas, Dublin)
• Monaghan Institute
• Rathmines College of Further Education
• Waterford College of Further Education

You will be paid a salary of at least €18k a year, and enjoy fully funded college tuition fees.

You will emerge from the programme with a valuable qualification, which is strengthened by two years of practical work experience in accounting and finance.

Upon graduation, you will be eligible to apply for membership of ATI, the leading professional body for Accounting Technicians in Ireland and the provider of the highly sought-after MIATI designation.

What does an Accounting Technician do?

Maintaining a set of accounts is a fundamental element of any business from a sole trader to large multinationals.

An Accounting Technician supports all elements of accounts function, including income and expenditure, balance sheet transactions, statutory returns and payroll requirements.

The Accounting Technician is concerned with bookkeeping, and processes all accounts payable and receivable in order to prepare, or support the preparation of, periodic accounts. They record and monitor income and expenditure including accrued and deferred income.

The Accounting Technician completes regular bank reconciliations and accounts for/completes statutory returns. Regular analysis and reports are undertaken to contribute to producing accounts.

The Accounting Technician produces management accounts and supplies vital financial information as to the running of the Company. They have the ability to do costing and cost controls.

The Accounting Technician prepares company annual budgets and monitors the progress of this throughout the year. They prepare, or assist in the preparation of, company year-end financial statements.

Is this programme for me?

Motivation

Firstly, you should have a clear motivation to become an Accounting Technician and develop a career in accountancy. It is important to consider why you are interested in the programme, and what is it about accounting that appeals to you as a career path!

To succeed at interview stage, you must also be able to demonstrate:

• Motivation to learn and achieve.
• Dedicated class and work attendance.
• Proficient time management.
• Reliability when on the job.
• Professional etiquette.
• Ability to work as part of a team and use your own initiative.

Eligibility Criteria

The minimum eligibility criteria are as follows:

Leaving Cert students and applicants under 23

Leaving Certificate students 2017 and 2018 should have at least 310 CAO points and at least an O5 grade in English and Maths or Accountancy. If you are sitting your Leaving Cert in June 2018, you can apply for the programme with your mock results, but any final offer will be subject to your Leaving Cert results.

For applicants aged under 23 who sat the Leaving Cert in 2014, 2015 or 2016, this is 300 CAO points and a D3 in Ordinary Level English and Maths of Accountants.

If you undertook a PLC course after your Leaving Cert, you are considered a Previous Qualification Holder, and should provide details on your application form.Previous Qualification Holders do not need to provide Leaving Cert points, a pass in a PLC Level 5 or 6 is sufficient for our entry requirements.

See the Previous Qualification Holder Eligibility Guide below.The levels refer to the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) in the Republic of Ireland.

Mature learners (23 and above) with previous qualifications

Mature learners are eligible to apply. Previous qualification holders should provide details of their qualifications during the application process.

Applicants with no previous qualifications

Where an applicant has no (formal) qualification, eligibility will be determined through a series of questions.

Generally this will be done during the ATI telephone interview but it can be done in person where appropriate.

Enhanced Eligibility Criteria

All applicants should bear in mind that individual employers have the discretion to enhance the entrance criteria beyond the minimum academic standards.

Commitments and study

The duration of this programme is two years from the commencement date in September 2018. You should be able to commit to completing the programme syllabus while working in full-time employment over the two years.

You will be attending off-the-job training at college one day and working with an employer four days during college term time (on-the-job training) on a weekly basis. Outside of college term, you will be working five days a week.

Additional home study will be needed to ensure success in the programme.

You are entitled to three weeks’ study leave from your employer each year, and you will be required to sit the ATI exams in May each year.