Waterford College of Further Education is set to bring 20 new jobs to the region through the National Accounting Technician Apprenticeship, a funded, work-based learning programme where locally-placed apprentices will earn at least €18,000 a year.
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 Waterford College of Further Education.
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.
Apprentices can work in all sectors of the economy, with organisations ranging from large accountancy firms to SMEs and the public sector.
The practical nature of the programme, the salary and the fully-funded fees make the Accounting Technician Apprenticeship particularly appealing to students who prefer learning by experience to full-time college education.
Commenting on the announcement, Waterford Chamber President, Paul Nolan, said: “When they complete the programme, they will be fully-qualified Accounting Technicians with two years of work experience, the MIATI designation and a range of employment and further study options ahead.”
