NorthTec receives Chartered Accountant Accreditation

Media release: NorthTec receives Chartered Accountant Accreditation (26/9/2012)

NorthTec’s Business Department is thrilled that some of their students can now meet the academic requirements for admission as a Chartered Accountant.

NorthTec’s Bachelor of Applied Management, with a major in Accounting, is accredited by the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA) for both their Chartered Accountants (CA) and Associate Chartered Accountants (ACA) designations, and also by the Certified Practising Accountants Australia (CPA).

NorthTec’s three year degree, together with the required practical industry experience of three years working under a mentor, will help students to become fully qualified Chartered Accountants.

Students studying part time can combine their studies with relevant industry experience and contribute towards their final Chartered Accountant designation at the same time, working alongside their mentor.

Students can also sign up to become a NZICA Student Affiliates. This is absolutely free and gives students access to exclusive networking events, tips and tools on the NZICA website, as well as access to the world of accounting from those in the know.

Shiralee McLean, chair of the NZICA Northland Leadership Team, is delighted that Northtec’s Bachelor of Applied Management, with a major in Accounting, has been accredited for the CA designation.

“This will give our local students a fantastic opportunity to study and work in Northland,” she said. “Many local accountancy practices support NorthTec students with their studies and career path towards gaining CA and ACA status. This is a win-win for both the students and the businesses that support them in their career towards becoming a Chartered Accountant and member of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants. I envisage the flow on effect to have a positive and beneficial advantage to our Northland businesses and community with the growth of locally educated graduates from NorthTec.”

There are other benefits of studying local in addition to the close ties with local business. NorthTec provides much smaller class sizes than what you find in larger institutions, which allow students more one on one time with their tutors, according to NorthTec’s Accounting Tutor, Petrus Brink. “In larger institutions students can feel that they are just a number, but here at NorthTec the smaller classes, and the fact that a lot of the students are already working in the industry, allows for a lot more peer and tutor support.” he said.

The CA designation gives Northlanders great opportunities and potential to develop their careers, and with the average annual income of an Associate Chartered Accountant being approximately $104,400, and that of a Chartered Accountant even higher at approximately $136,100, according to the 2012 NZICA Remuneration Survey, this career option could be very fruitful for NorthTec graduates. Furthermore, Chartered Accountants is on the short-skills list of almost every country in the world, and through NZICA’s affiliation with most other international accounting bodies, the ACA and CA designations are a passport to finding excellent employment globally.

ENDS
NorthTec is the Tai Tokerau (Northland) region's largest provider of tertiary education, with campuses and learning centres in Whangarei, Kerikeri, Rāwene, Kaikohe and Kaitaia. NorthTec also has over 60 community-based delivery points from Coatesville in rural Rodney to Ngataki in the Far North.

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