With a new report from Robert Half UK highlighting that a majority of business leader’s & CEO’s have a background in accountancy or financial management, ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is hosting an open event for young people in Northern Ireland to learn about the flexibility and broad opportunities the profession has to offer.

According to ACCA, accountants now play a more important role than ever in helping to grow the economy which is supported by research from finance recruiters Robert Half UK which states that over half of FTSE 100 CEOs have a background in accountancy or financial management.

Commenting on accounting professional opportunities and the Belfast event, Liz Hughes, Head of ACCA Ireland said, “The accountancy profession has a depth and variety of opportunities available both internationally and locally. However, it is our experience that whilst many are interested in accountancy, they don’t have information regarding the diverse paths within the profession. It is a field that can be misunderstood both in terms of what accountants do and how they are trained. 

“We want to equip young people in Northern Ireland considering a career in the profession with the knowledge to plot a path that bests works for them. Our event will provide details from experts about the range of options including full-time, part-time, evening and weekend courses as well as distance learning.”

The open evening will take place on Tuesday 30th July from 6-8 pm at the Hilton Hotel, Belfast and will host a range of speakers working within the accountancy profession including representatives from Brightwater who will share industry expertise and knowledge.

Concluding, Liz Hughes, Head of ACCA Ireland, said, “The benefits of ACCA and accountancy as a profession, is that it is a globally transferable qualification but it also provides opportunities to work in a sector which offers a huge range of career paths. We would encourage any young people from across Northern Ireland that are interested in a career within accountancy to attend the open evening to hear first-hand about the flexibility and opportunities that exist within the profession.”

To register for ACCA’s open evening in Belfast simply visit www.acca.ie 

ENDs

For further information please contact:

Aiken PR on 028 9066 3000Shane Finnegan on 07764534565 orKatrina Frazer on 07553367349or email firstname@aikenpr.com

Notes to Editors1. ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global body for professional accountants. We aim to offer business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management.2. We support our 162,000 members and 426,000 students in 173 countries, helping them to develop successful careers in accounting and business, with the skills required by employers. We work through a network of over 89 offices and centres and more than 8,500 Approved Employers worldwide, who provide high standards of employee learning and development. Through our public interest remit, we promote appropriate regulation of accounting and conduct relevant research to ensure accountancy continues to grow in reputation and influence.3. Founded in 1904, ACCA has consistently held unique core values: opportunity, diversity, innovation, integrity and accountability. We believe that accountants bring value to economies in all stages of development and seek to develop capacity in the profession and encourage the adoption of global standards. Our values are aligned to the needs of employers in all sectors and we ensure that through our qualifications, we prepare accountants for business. We seek to open up the profession to people of all backgrounds and remove artificial barriers, innovating our qualifications and delivery to meet the diverse needs of trainee professionals and their employers.