NWRC students make it count as they become the first graduates of HLA in Accounting

Four students from North West Regional College (NWRC) have become the first to graduate from the Higher Level Apprenticeship (HLA) in Accounting. Jamie Given, Daniella Quinn, Victoria Darragh and Diana Carvalho were recently presented with their certificates following completion of the Apprenticeship, which is delivered by NWRC in partnership with the Department for the Economy.Anne - Marie Deehan, Associate Lecturer & HLA Accounting Co-Ordinator with NWRC congratulated the Apprentices on their success. She commented: “The HLA in Accounting is an internationally recognised Level 5 qualification from Accounting Technicians Ireland, equivalent to a Foundation Degree, and is designed to prepare participants for a career in Accounting. The Accounting Technician qualification also provides a fantastic basis for those who want to further their Professional Accounting qualifications. “The course has a dual approach in that students attend College one day per week, and work in either an Accountancy practice or in an accounting role within industry, for the other four days, applying the skills and theory they acquire from the lecturers at the College. “This has the added incentive that students are able to earn while they learn.” Applications are now being taken for the HLA in Accounting which will be delivered from September 2018. The course is particularly suitable for students who have just completed A levels and want to take the next step but are unsure if they want to go to university. It is also suitable for those who want to retrain in the area of accounting/finance or those in jobs who would like to upskill to take on a new job role. NWRC is supported by a number of employers on the HLA including Fleming Agri, Claremount Accountants, McDaid McCullough Moore, Dawn Mc Laughlin Accountants, McGroarty & Mc Cafferty Accountants, Lackpatrick, Kelly & Company Accountants (Strabane), Find Insurance, Nuprint, and Ursula Hipplsey Successful applicants to the course will be given a 2 year contract of employment with one of the employers. The course is funded by the Department for the Economy so successful candidates do not pay any college fees, awarding body fees, or exams fees. If you would like to find out more about the HLA course contact Christine Hutton in NWRC Business Support Centre on Christine.hutton@nwrc.ac.uk or call 02871 276221