Information Sessions about the Accounting Technician Apprenticeship at Monaghan Institute

Local employers, school-leavers, mature learners and employers are being invited to a series of information sessions promoting the Accounting Technician Apprenticeship in Monaghan, on May 9, 2018. The employer event takes place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Monaghan, at 8.30am, and the applicant event takes place at the same venue at 3.30pm.

The Accounting Technician Apprenticeship is a work-based learning programme being delivered in partnership with Monaghan Institute and local employers. Apprentices will earn at least €18k a year and pay no college fees. Leaving Cert students and mature learners can apply for the programme through Accounting Technicians Ireland. Successful applicants will work four days a week with a local employer and study one day a week at Monaghan Institute.

“The Accounting Technician Apprenticeship is entering its second year in Monaghan Institute, and has firmly become a fixture in the college and a hugely popular choice for both school-leavers and mature applicants,” says Shane Williams, Deputy Director at the Monaghan Institute.

“The apprenticeship programme is ideal for those who favour a practical approach to learning with excellent opportunities to learn on the job. The programme offers graduates a fantastic route to employment in the industry, but also offers graduates a progression route to become a qualified Chartered Accountant,” adds Mr Williams.

Apprentices can work in all sectors of the economy, with organisations ranging from large accountancy firms to SMEs and the public sector.

The academic side of the programme gives participants a solid grounding in critical accounting theory such as financial accounting, taxation, law and ethics as well as wider business know-how such as management. With mentorship in both college and the workplace, participants can quickly grasp the concepts they learn in college and then master them in the workplace day to day.

“This is a fully-funded, four-day per week work-based programme with one day in college here at Monaghan Institute, where students earn a salary as they work towards their qualification. The work-based learning approach ensures learners gain hands-on experience when building their career, with the bonus of being paid to train rather than handing over fees for a college place,” says Mr Williams.

“We have a fantastic staff team at Monaghan Institute, which supports learners in both the college and the workplace ensuring that learners are well-positioned to achieve success within the programme. Additionally, local employers have been central to the success story, providing not alone a placement for the apprentice, but also supporting their development closely throughout their training.

“Feedback from local employers has been very positive in relation to their experience with the apprenticeship and I would like to extend an invite to further employers locally to consider linking with the programme,” says Mr Williams.

Employers interested in attending the upcoming Information Session at the Four Seasons can register at www.accountingtechnicianapprenticeship.ie/open-days/. Applicants can also register for the later session on the same page.

“I have no doubt that this programme will continue to be a great success both here in Monaghan Institute and nationally, as it offers learners a great opportunity to get ‘real world’ learning which means graduates have the skills and knowledge that employers require on completion of their studies,” says Mr Williams.