Accounting Technicians Ireland Programme Launched on Full-Time Basis in GMIT

GMIT continues its development as a centre of accounting education excellence by launching the delivery of Accounting Technicians Ireland (ATI) Technician Programme on a full-time basis in the Galway campus commencing in October 2013. It will also continue to be offered as a part-time evening programme in the college.

Accounting technicians are qualified accounting professionals that work at all levels of finance. They can work in all types of organisations, and are widely employed throughout the public sector, industry and commerce, and in private accountancy practices. 95% of accounting technicians are presently employed, and employment growth rates continue to rise.

This two-year programme in GMIT prepares students for the exams of Accounting Technicians Ireland (ATI). ATI is the leading Accounting Technician body in Ireland with over 10,000 members and students. Their qualification differs from many other academic programmes as it combines professional exams with practical work experience. As members of Accounting Technicians Ireland, individuals are entitled to put the letters MIATI after their name, seen by many employers as essential when hiring. Holders of the ATI qualification are eligible to enter year 2 of the three-year Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Accounting in GMIT, and are also eligible for exemptions from the professional accounting bodies. The addition of the programme to the college’s suite of degree, postgraduate and professional accounting programmes, is in response to industry demand for qualified accounting technicians.

Speaking at the launch, Bernadette Costello, ATI, spoke of ‘the great variety of work within the accounting profession with a vast array of career opportunities to suit all’ and emphasised that ‘employment of Accounting and Financial Technicians shows one of the highest growth rates among business and finance occupations.’ She was referring to the National Skills Bulletin, 2012 produced by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, which has identified accounting and finance as a sector where there are skills shortages. The report cited that the average annual growth of employment among Accounting and Financial Technicians was 17.9% in 2010-11. This was one of the highest growth rates among all the business and financial occupations.

Carmel Brennan, Head of Department of Accounting & Information Systems in GMIT’ anticipates that the programme will have wide appeal to both school leavers and mature students. ‘The fact that this is a specialised technician qualification that also provides progression paths to degree and professional accounting programmes is very attractive. We have also seen a big increase in the number of our accounting students gaining employment prior to graduating this year, which is reflected in the level of interest in all our accounting programmes.’ The timetable for the full-time programme is structured in an intensive manner to allow students with other commitments to attend, and financial assistance may be available to participants through SUSI.

Further Enquiries:

Carmel Brennan, Head of Department of Accounting & Information Systems,

Tel: 091 742266 or e-mail: carmel.brennan@gmit.ie

ATI full-time programme (daytime): http://www.gmit.ie/business/accounting-technician.html

ATI part-time programme (evenings): http://www.gmit.ie/lifelong-learning/lifelong-learning-programmes/business/accounting-technician-part-1.html