Getting Qualified as an Accounting Technician
Qualifications required
Apprenticeship Route
The official entry route for an Accounting Technician is through undertaking an apprenticeship.
Click here to find information on the Accounting Technician apprenticeship
What is the Accounting Technician Apprenticeship?
The Accounting Technician Apprenticeship is a two-year, work-based education training programme which leads to a Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Accounting.
In this fully-funded programme, apprentices study with a local partner college and gain significant experience working with an employer, earning a salary of at least €21,060 per annum. 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 January 2022.
You will work four days a week in an office environment, and study one day a week in college.
You will emerge from the programme with a valuable qualification, which is strengthened by two years of work practice modules 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.
he 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
A minimum of 300 CAO points (or equivalent) within the last 5 years with a pass grade in English, and Maths or Accounting. All final offers will be subject to your Leaving Cert results.
If you sat the Leaving Certificate more than 5 years ago, you should have a minimum of 300 CAO points (or equivalent) with a D3 in Ordinary level English, and Maths or Accounting
PLC students or other previous qualification holders are eligible to apply if the qualification is in a different discipline and is an NFQ Level 5 or above. Otherwise, the CAO points and subjects’ requirements noted above will apply
Applicants should be able to commit to completing the programme syllabus whilst working in full-time employment over the two years
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. 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 August each year.
In First Year, students study the following subjects:
- Financial Accounting
- Taxation
- Business Law
- Business Management
This mix of subjects is designed to provide students with a solid grounding in business as well as a strong foundation in accountancy.
Second Year
Second Year modules can also be taken on a part-time or full-time basis. The second-year subjects are as follows:
- Advanced Financial Accounting
- Advanced Taxation
- Management Accounting
- Financial Data Management
Full details on the Accounting Technician Apprenticeship here.
Typical entry routes
As well as the Accounting Technician apprenticeship there is also an additional route:
The Accounting Technicians Certificate (One Year) and Diploma (Two Years plus Work Experience)
Accounting Technicians Ireland
The Certificate for Accounting Technicians is awarded upon successful completion of the First Year and the Diploma for Accounting Technicians is awarded upon successful completion of both the First and Second Year, plus the completion of relevant Work Practice Modules as part of two years’ work experience.
Note: You don’t have to commit to two-years of study when registering. You only need to register for the Certificate, and then you can decide to progress to Year 2 to complete the Diploma following your Year 1 exams.
Work Experience requirements are based on Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria of the units which make up the Accounting Technicians Ireland Diploma for Accounting Technicians.
Employers at home and abroad know that Accounting Technicians Ireland graduates have this real and relevant experience, which adds to the strength of our qualification over other ‘class-only’ courses.
Our graduates can go straight into an interview and discuss strengths which were developed ‘on-the-job’ as well as in the classroom.
Whether you choose to study the Certificate or the Diploma for Accounting Technicians, our qualification will put you on the fast track to success in your accounting career. Both qualifications are designed to meet the strong and specific demand for qualified Accounting Technician professionals in all Irish sectors, and to support the continuing development of those already in employment.
Our syllabus has been carefully designed to equip graduates with an array of transferable business skills and a technical knowledge of finance and accountancy practice. The Work Practice Modules on the Diploma ensures graduates further increase their chances on the jobs market by bringing real, ‘on-the-job’ experience to interviews.
Ultimately the qualification increases employment opportunities for a broad range of accounting and finance roles and will enable progressive opportunities to senior financial management at a later stage of an Accounting Technician’s career. Moreover, it opens doors to further accounting studies via exemptions with professional bodies and higher education institutes.
In First Year, students study the following subjects:
- Financial Accounting
- Taxation
- Business Law
- Business Management
This mix of subjects is designed to provide students with a solid grounding in business as well as a strong foundation in accountancy.
Second Year
Second Year modules can also be taken on a part-time or full-time basis. The second-year subjects are as follows:
- Advanced Financial Accounting
- Advanced Taxation
- Management Accounting
- Financial Data Management
- Work Practice Module - Level 4
- Work Practice Module - Level 5
On successful completion of Second Year, students may become Affiliate Members of Accounting Technicians Ireland, allowing them to maintain their professional affiliation while they complete the work experience requirement of the Diploma.
Entry Requirements
School-leavers should have a Leaving Certificate with pass grades in:
Republic of Ireland applicants should possess one of the following:
5 Ordinary level Leaving Certificate grades (including an O6 in English, and Maths or Accounting) or
2 Higher level and 2 Ordinary Leaving Certificate grades (including an O6 in English, and Maths or Accounting)
Mature Learners
If you are over 21 years of age, but don’t possess the minimum educational requirements, you can still register as a mature learner, based on age and experience.
Prior Learning may also provide an entry route for applicants who do not meet any of the above criteria. Those who have successfully completed a nationally recognised qualification such as a QQI award in the Republic of Ireland, or QCA and BTEC National Diploma in Northern Ireland, may be eligible to register.
Exemptions
Prior Learning may also be recognised for exemption purposes. If you think you may be eligible for an exemption, then you must apply for one during the registration process.
If you have completed relevant qualifications within the last six years, you may be eligible for exemptions from select Year 1 exams.
To be considered for exemptions, these relevant qualifications must be a minimum of QQI Level 6 in the Republic of Ireland or Level 4 in Northern Ireland (or higher).
If you wish to apply for an exemption with qualifications achieved in a country outside of Ireland / UK, please use the NARIC (National Academic Recognition information Centre) database in order to obtain confirmation of how your prior qualification maps to the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).
Please note that exemptions are not available for Year 2 exams.
You can apply for exemptions free of charge, though there is a charge of €70 / £65 to accept any exemptions that are offered.
Exemption applications must be made prior to fully completing your registration.
Locations:
Accounting Technicians Ireland courses are available through the ATI Online programme and also at over 70 colleges throughout the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. These currently include ETBs and Institutes of Technology, and leading private and community colleges. Programmes are also delivered in the Republic of Ireland through SOLAS in a number of their training centres.
Work Practice Modules:
In addition to passing exams, students must complete Work Practice Module Level 4 and Work Practice Module Level 5 also complete the qualification. Work Practice Modules can be gained at any time from during or after you have completed your exams and form part of your two years’ work experience. This is not a requirement of the Certificate, but it is necessary to be awarded the Diploma.
Accreditation:
The Diploma for Accounting Technicians is fully approved as a Level 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications in Ireland. This equates to a Level 5 on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The relevant professional bodies are:
- Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI)
- Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMI)
- The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
- Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland (CPA)
- Accounting Technicians Ireland (ATI)
To register with one of these bodies you must meet their minimum educational requirements. If you exceed the minimum entry requirements you may be exempted from certain professional accountancy exams.
Pay & Salary - Accounting Technician
Salary Range (thousands per year)* €22k - €39k
Useful Contacts - Accounting Technician
Accounting Technicians Ireland (ATI)
47 - 49 Pearse Street, Dublin 2
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