Accounting Technicians Ireland

The professional body for accounting technicians in Ireland

Accounting Technicians Ireland, or ATI, is a membership body and educator for technicians in accounting across the island. It provides professional accounting technician education and represents and advocates for a community of more than 10,000 members and students. The body says its members work in industry, in practice and in the public sector, and that it delivers training routes into the profession through study and apprenticeship.

Diploma study, full-time, part-time or online

The Diploma for Accounting Technicians can be taken full-time, part-time or on a blended basis at one of the partner colleges, which the body says number more than forty across the island. A full-time course suits learners who want to attend college every day, while the part-time route runs on evenings after work. The online programme lets learners study at home at their own pace, around work and family life. Learners range from school-leavers to mature students and career-changers.

Apprenticeships that combine work and study

Two apprenticeship routes let learners work, earn and learn at the same time. The Accounting Technician Apprenticeship is a two-year work-based programme at QQI Level 6, with mentoring throughout. The Higher-Level Apprenticeship at Level 5 is offered in Northern Ireland as a route into accountancy. The body says it offers fully funded tuition for employers' teams, and that firms can take on apprentices to grow their pool of finance talent.

Membership, designations and professional development

Members hold the professional designations MIATI and FIATI and have access to continuing professional development, including more than thirty hours of CPD training. The body says its members are specialists in accounting, business and finance, and that 95 per cent of its members are in employment. It also describes a newer profession, the Accounting Technologist, which it says sits between the accounting technician and the fully qualified accountant and works where finance, information systems and governance meet.

Local access and employer support

Partner colleges are located in or near every county on the island, and four district societies serve members locally. The body says its qualification is recognised across the industry, and it helps employers find new talent or upskill their existing finance teams.