About 5 years ago I completed ICB level 1 and 2 computerised and manual bookkeeping. I went self employed but should not have done as I didnt have the confidence to do it and not really enough experience for the situations that arose. Most of my work was for friends and family. After a few years I decided I would rather be employed and started looking for a job. That was three years ago. Not one job I have been for has recognised ICB as a valid qualification. They all wanted AAT. I decided then to retrain and do level three and four AAT once my children were all at school.
That time has come and the youngest started school yesterday. Because I trained with HLC for my previous qualifications I decided to give them a call. They have quoted me 2.4k to do level 3 and 4.
I know all the exam fees and membership fees are included and when i was with them I found them excellent, however since joining up with them ( about 6 hours ago) I have been on their forum and so many people have complaints about the tutors that I'm getting worried. Its a lot of money and I'm starting to think I have made a huge mistake.
I'm still within the cancellation period. The main reason for going back was I liked the forum and the way it was run and also the tutors were really quick to get the results back. I just got a really good feel for it.
I'm totally confused to be honest. My instinct is telling me its too much money, and too be honest I'm not sure how I even agreed to it but I think I got bamboozled along the way.
I have heard that training link are good but dont know if they do the course.
Sorry to waffle on and go on about my background but thought it may be helpful to know a bit more. Now the children are back at school I am really keen to retrain ( and even go onto ACCA if I can) but want to do it correctly.
Any Thoughts or help if much appreciated.
p.s I have also since read that I can get funding for a level three and four but I am not in a position to go to college so dont think that would help??
Just wanted to say, that I am by no means saying that ICB is not a valid qualification, just that in my experience , the jobs I went for, it wasn;t much help for me!
Your right, whilst TL are a decent bunch they're ICB through and through. For AAT try Premier training. Their head honcho trainer Nick is Chartered and they've just acquired Neil as a tutor who learnt his AAT at ACCA level.
You will certainly find them freindly and very professional.
For ACCA you don't have to do AAT first but can dive stright into the first three papers rather than doing AAT in order to get exemption from the first three papers.
If you go ACCA and intend to be self employed then beware regulation 8 which states that as a trainee unless under direct supervision of a qualified accountant you can only offer bookkeeping to trial balance, VAT and Payroll. And even with those services, whilst you can do the nuts and bolts work you cannot file returns for clients or give any advice.
Now imagine that you have gained MAAT status so you can prepare final accounts, you join the ACCA and then you can't as regulation 8 takes precedence over any other body you are a member of.
Worry not, the ICB issue has been covered on here a few times.
Even if there are no jobs requiring ICB
For self employment it gives its members a good start in the right direction but for employment I always tell people that no matter what qualification they are doing go to the Reed website and use it in a job search and see what comes back.
The way that you need to think about things is what qualification did the people take who are in a position to do the hiring as thats the qualification that they will be looking for in those that they consider for roles under their control.
Hope that helps,
kind regards,
Shaun.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Whilst you are still in your cancellation period i would suggest you speak to other training providers and work out your figures, and see if the 2.4k adds up. Also i would suggest you search through the AAT forum here:
http://forums.aat.org.uk/
and see what real students have to say about their training providers.
It might by thet HLC is a good fit for you but you want to be sure as 2.4k is a lot of anyones money, so you want to know that you have got the most for it.
Any problems or queries please just ask on here, this place is one of the best finds on the internet for this industry.
Nick
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Nick
Nick Craggs FMAAT ACA AAT Distance Learning Manager
Thank you both for your replys, I have done some research and it would appear that PremierTraining are very highly regarded. Are they about on a saturday for me to call and discuss. Even though the exams fees and membership fees are not inluded it still works out a hell of a lot cheaper and not such a scary amount!
AnnMarie
Rules of the forum is that Training Providers cannot self promote but no rules state that a fellow Training Provider cannot promote another, if looking for AAT training doing home study then for me it has to be Premier Training and you wont get many tutors who are actually chartered Accountants as Nick Craggs is. Give Nick a call on Monday, you always know your in good hands with someone who gives up their own free time to answer questions on a forum with no hint of self-promotion.
Have a chat with Nick as Shaun and I suggest and you wont go far wrong.
Any news on that proposal? Those exam centre prices were very high but where they were there wasnt a lot of choice. Also have you seen that Ideal have now got AAT acreditation?
All the best
Nick
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Nick
Nick Craggs FMAAT ACA AAT Distance Learning Manager
No new as of yet but it is a bidding process and sometimes have been know to take weeks, was going to PM you about it anyway as for the right commission I can always bid on the others and give them to you should I win, it will be through Training Link though and not a personal agreement, but will email you my proposal.
as for Ideal no I have not seen that are AAT accredited, good luck to them, I suppose as a business it is better to have more than one string to your bow rather than be a one trick pony as they say but for us we want to specialise for one body (ICB) but that is not to say at some point in the future we wouldn't look at providing other training, at this moment in time we are proud at what we have achieved and long may it continue.
Well done on your nominations by the way and as long as we are only providing ICB courses any AAT enquiries I have will be winging their way on to you.
Dave thanks for that, i have actually have something in the pipeline that would benefit Training Link, but I dont want it in the public domain for a couple of weeks, but i will send you an email when i am back in the office, as i have no idea how the PM thing works.
Nick
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Nick
Nick Craggs FMAAT ACA AAT Distance Learning Manager
What it originally said (may not be word perfect to the original) was :
Even if there are no jobs requiring ICB your ICB studies will have given you a foundation platform for following any higher path so never consider any learning wasted even if such cannot be used as intended.
Sorry, it was late... Ooh, and just noticed the low power button on my mouse is flashing so I'll blame that.
I may not agree with the ICB on some things but I've got nothing against them and fully support their intent of improving the quality and perception of this business.
All the best,
Shaun.
p.s. Dave, Nick, we'll have no training provider love in's on here. At each others throats now or we'll lose all of our regular readers (sure that there was a major drop when Bob stopped posting, lol).
To quote Thomas Hardy "War makes rattling good history; but Peace is poor reading".
Just joshin, hope that you're having a good weekend fella's.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
I would use Training Link for any course they provide if I needed it. They seem to always be the cheapest. I did a payroll course with them and the tutor was excellent, went above and beyond to help. They always answer the phone when you call (never on hold) and their customer service is just brilliant. I can't recommend them enough!! I don't know if they do aat or not but definitely worth looking into with Training Link
I have also used home learning college before for level 1 and 2 bookkeeping, they were far too expensive (compared with everyone else) and did not offer anything above any other provider. I wouldn't recommend them
Rachel
-- Edited by rachel_mclean on Sunday 8th of September 2013 12:34:57 PM
War between Training Providers!!! Whatever do you mean? You should know we all get on like a house on fire and help each other at every given opportunity and never complain about each other and socialise at the Training Provider annual Christmas Convention. It is only the childish who want to stir it up and create war and we Training Providers are not childish, indeed our Guru is Jon Lennon who insists "Peace Is A Beautiful Thing" and this makes beautiful reading, indeed so do the poems. Here is an extract:
Thank you for your kind words about our organisation they are very much appreciated and the bribe money will be in your account at some point in the near future lol. At least unlike some you have used more than one provider so do know the difference.
So about this bribery slush fund that you've got at TL towers Dave.
Nice company you've got there matey. Be a shame if anything was to happen to it.
Skills train didn't pay and ask yourself, where are they now....
I'll email you the account number to make your monthly payments to.
Don Shamus.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Although I appreciate the warning please be advised that all assets have been frozen and I have ran off with the slush fund and am in official hiding, any further postings bearing my name will be that of an imposter as I will be sunning it on Skills Train island where only the select few know of its location. Should Garius the Hupston require to know my whereabouts say nothing as this post will self destruct in 14 days and 27 minutes lol
and this makes beautiful reading, indeed so do the poems. Here is an extract:
