IRELAND’S biggest and fastest growing accountancy body, Chartered Accountants Ireland, and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), the professional body for people working in finance in the public sector, have formed a strategic agreement which will see CAI deliver the new public sector elective to its final year students.
The move comes as demand grows for specialist public sector finance professionals in both Northern Ireland and the Republic.
There is also wide acknowledgement of the need for highly trained and experienced accountants to manage and audit the public purse.
The new elective will service this demand while opening up more career opportunities for newly qualified Irish chartered accountants.
Chartered Accountants Ireland chief executive Barry Dempsey said: “This announcement marks the culmination of many months of work with our partners in CIPFA.
"In combining an executive-level public sector elective with the respected chartered accountant professional qualification, our proposition is made even more attractive for talented and ambitious new graduates and those already working in the public sector.
“This new public sector elective is one part of an exciting, new education programme that Chartered Accountants Ireland will be unveiling for the 2018/19 academic year.
"We have revised our core syllabus, introduced new electives and new pathways to membership, as we anticipate and respond to the demands of our economy. The new programme will greatly enhance both the student experience and the long-term value of the profession in a rapidly-changing environment.”
CIPFA chief executive Rob Whiteman added: “We are excited to have entered into a strategic agreement with Chartered Accountants Ireland. Together we will work hard to empower accountants to manage public money and resources transparently and effectively.”
