Yep, we've hit the motherload of three letter acronyms.
Now, this seems a pretty strange turn of events.
There seems to have been a parting of ways between ICB and HLC.
When Premier dropped offering ICB that was understandable as I could see that the qualification was not a good fit with their aspirations which seem to be accountancy qualifications based (AAT, ATT, etc).
But from previous chats on here whilst we've had complaints about HLCs prices and sales techniques, the ICB always stuck by them so came as a real shock to hear from someone today that the ICB courses have disappeared from the HLC site.
Fear not, Ideal and TL both continue to offer quality ICB courses... Actually looking at the Ideal site (thought that I would check if anyone else had any surprises) I do note that Ideal is now also offering AAT (Congrats on the new courses Brian. Does that now make your FIA courses supurfluous to requirements as both AAT and FIA offer the same knowledge base (and exemptions) but AAT can lead to a practice certificate where FIA doesn't).
Seems like its all musical chairs with whose offering what at the moment.
I now find myself in the uncomfortable position that if people ask about IAB courses I may need to pointing them to HLC.
Right, fingers crossed we'll get a site update as to whats occurin from James. Don't imagine that its anything major as training providers come and go in the lives of professional bodies.
The penny has dropped though as to why James posted the other day annoyed (possibly rightly, jury's still out) at the IAB routes to membership as I'm sure that finding a provider that you stuck by is sleeping with the enemy will not have gone down well.
Personally I hope that this is the start of a return to more of a competition between the ICB and IAB as it seemed for a while to have been heading towards a bit of a monopoly in the ICB's favour where IAB courses seemed to be becoming increasingly difficult to source... and monopoly's are never good as competition keeps business on its toes (competitively priced and client focused).
lol, just realised that I'm telling James that he'd miss the IAB if it wasn't there.... Thats like telling Coke that it would miss Pepsi (if on a somewhat different scale).
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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 now find myself in the uncomfortable position that if people ask about IAB courses I may need to pointing them to HLC.
Why would you feel this need?
If people ask about IAB distance learning as they have in the past then what are the options?
I would have to say that HLC offers the course that the person is looking for.
With ICB I generally mentioned Ideal and TL even though I knew that there were others where with IAB the market currently has more restricted offerings. Until this current move it seemed that IAB was mainly college based so I was stuck for where to point people who wanted a more flexible option.
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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.
Cheers Nick, you've just saved me from having to gnaw my own fingers off after typing a response. lol.
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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.
Clearly it's up to you Shaun. But hell would freeze over before I'd point anyone in the direction of HLC. Even if they were the ONLY people offering the training I just couldn't do that to anyone. A bigger shower of cheats and snake oils salesmen I've yet to meet.
Fear not, Ideal and TL both continue to offer quality ICB courses... Actually looking at the Ideal site (thought that I would check if anyone else had any surprises) I do note that Ideal is now also offering AAT (Congrats on the new courses Brian. Does that now make your FIA courses supurfluous to requirements as both AAT and FIA offer the same knowledge base (and exemptions) but AAT can lead to a practice certificate where FIA doesn't).
Cheers for that Shaun, Yes,we gained our AAT accreditation a while ago but had delays in getting the courses together due to some unfortunate circumstance. We were advised to ease ourselves in at Level 2, but further levels will follow. Re the FIA, we'll keep this going as we still have students to service and there is demand for the element who look to study directly under the ACCA umbrella. Re HLC, yes, I had noticed that they were no longer listed as an ICB provider, but others have joined, so there's still plenty of choice there.
Incidentally, is it allowed for me to plug the fact that our courses covering the New ICB Syllabus are now available??
Edited for typo
-- Edited by Brian McVean on Thursday 3rd of April 2014 03:41:11 PM
Sure Brian, your an active contributor so the unofficial flexibility on advertising rules apply.
If any other training provider complains we have to pull anything deemed as advertising but if they don't it's a no never mind as far as I'm concerned.
All the best,
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.