Hi everyone, this is my first post. I am considering training to become a bookkeeper. I have been in touch with the Home learning College and they have recommended the ICB course as the best one for my needs. I am a self employed VAT consultant, working from home, and would like to offer my clients bookkeeping services. The cost of the complete ICB course is £1993.00. I would just like to know if this is a good deal and the best way of obtaining the qualification? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Robbie.
£1993, what do you get for that? All i am going to say is, if i was going to spend 2k on a course, i would ring around other training providers and see what else i can get.
Also i would search the forums and see what other people say about HLC and other training providers. You maybe in for a surprise!
Kind regards
Nick
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Nick
Nick Craggs FMAAT ACA AAT Distance Learning Manager
I thought that HLC were supposed to have got better...
Sounds as though they're quoting you for ACCA rather than ICB... Think that the decimal place might be digit too far to the right.
Have words with Dave at Training link or Brian at Ideal who will put you on the straight and narrow with an ICB qualification.
Alternatively, dump ICB and have words with Nick at Premier or Sonya at Eagle about AAT which would give you more credence with accountancy practices.
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.
Take a look at Ideal Schools, I'm doing the ICB Career Path course which include levels 1,2 & 3, payroll & self assessment with the sage instant accounts, For almost half that.
Bethan :)
I also found HLC very pushy, wanting a date to call me back and pushing for a decision. Brian at Ideal Schools on the other hand was great, gave me all the information I needed without making me feel like I had to purchase anything and left me to make my decision in my own time.
Best of luck with whatever you decide.
Bethan
I have just completed Computerised accounting for business Levels 1 - 3 and I had a great experience with them. Tutors were marvellous and couldn't do enough to help.
Just thought you may have wanted to hear from someone who has done the course!
I have also done the course with them. They're overpriced, pushy, promise the earth. The tutors were disinterested at best, the quality of materials was ok but it wasn't even nearly worth the money.
I don't think that anyone has passed comment about the quality of the HLC courses that has not been on one.
The issue is with the ridiculously high cost and dubious double glazing sales techniques which we were assured last time that complaint was raised had been resolved by the ICB quality team but recent reports would seem to indicate that the old ways are creeping back into general use.
I would urge everyone that has any issue at all with courses including sales techniques used to contact the ICB team in writing as they can only investigate the legitimacy of peoples claims over their experiences if they are told about them.
I phrase it in that way as appreciate that some training companies may employ malicious tactics to gain market share so every claim would need to be properly investigated.
There is of course an ethical dilema in there in that training companies pay a lot of money to be on preferred supplier lists so there is a balancing act similar to that faced by auditors offering other services where the bodies do not want to cost themselves money but at the same time do not want to be associated with firms that reflect badly upon them.
The more the financial risk the harder it must be to give a misbehaving service provider a slap.
Maybe there is an arguement for the IFAC code of ethics for financial professionals to be extended to also cover those offering training in bookkeeping and accountancy.
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.
