Northern Ireland’s young accountants are among the best in the world and it is vitally important for economic development to hold onto these talented students to help towards bridging the skills gap, says a global industry body.

The global accountancy body ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) made the remarks following the publication of its worldwide 2015 exam results.

Accountancy students from more than 180 countries across the world sat the exam papers and eight from Northern Ireland were named within ACCA’s ‘top 20’.  

Qingqi Wang from Belfast came first in Ireland and fifth in the world in an Advanced Financial Management paper while David Playfair from Newtownabbey was also ranked first in Ireland and seventh globally in a Performance Management paper.

Alan McGonigle, Chairman of ACCA’s Ulster Members’ Network said, “Northern Ireland continues to produce a high calibre of accountancy students year on year however it’s crucial that we continue to recognise the importance of nurturing and retaining home grown talent. Now more than ever we need to showcase Northern Ireland as a great place to make a career and encourage young professionals to stay here to help build a sustainable economy.

“The skills’ shortage in Northern Ireland is still a major concern for many businesses and we want to attract talented young people to the accountancy profession and help them understand what accountants do, how they are trained and the array of jobs that are available to them.

“A key objective for our organisation is to educate the public and key stakeholders so that they understand the vital role our young accountants can play in helping drive recovery and how they can generate real value within the business sector.

“Companies need the help and support that accountants provide to build a sustainable future whether that’s auditing or corporate and financial reporting in delivering more knowledge based revenue streams.

“If we are to continue to provide accountancy students with the appropriate skills and training required, business leaders, advisers and experienced accountants must work together to inform young people about the globally transferable skills and career prospects available to them right on their doorstep through professional qualifications.”

For further information please contact Shane Finnegan or Katrina Frazer on 028 9066 3000

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For further information please contact:

Katrina Frazer or Shane Finnegan at Aiken PR on 028 9066 3000

Notes to Editor

About ACCA

ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global body for professional accountants. It offers 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.ACCA supports its 178,000 members and 455,000 students in 181 countries, helping them to develop successful careers in accounting and business, with the skills required by employers. ACCA works through a network of 95 offices and centres and more than 7,110 Approved Employers worldwide, who provide high standards of employee learning and development. Through its public interest remit, ACCA promotes appropriate regulation of accounting and conduct relevant research to ensure accountancy continues to grow in reputation and influence.

Founded in 1904, ACCA has consistently held unique core values: opportunity, diversity, innovation, integrity and accountability. It believes 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. ACCA’s core values are aligned to the needs of employers in all sectors and it ensures that through its range of qualifications, it prepares accountants for business. ACCA seeks to open up the profession to people of all backgrounds and remove artificial barriers, innovating its qualifications.