New accountancy apprenticeship to create 150 jobs

The program is set to help alleviate a national shortage in qualified accountants

Second and first-year Accounting Technicians Ireland apprentices Tsuika Cheung (l) and Noelia Zamora (r) with their mentor and Siro finance manager Gillian Noonan. Pic: Fintan Clarke.

A new accountancy apprenticeship will create 150 jobs across Ireland this year which is set to help alleviate the shortage of qualified accountants.

Applications have opened for the Accounting Technicians Ireland (ATI) Apprenticeship across further education colleges in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Meath, Monaghan, Waterford and Wicklow.

The apprenticeships are open for school leavers, those who started a course and found it unsuitable and is also an option for existing employees and mature learners who want to pursue accounting.

Earlier this year, President of Chartered Accountants Ireland Pat O’Neill warned that the existing shortage of accountancy jobs would likely worsen further in 2023, with Irish firms struggling to access the necessary talent needed to support the economy.

Impacting practices of all sizes across the industry, Mr O'Neill noted that the talent pipeline problem has caused significant attraction and retention challenges, with the problems stemming as far back as the leaving cert.

In 2023, the number of third-level accountancy students has slumped by over a quarter since the decade following the 2008 recession, according to the Charted Accountants of Ireland.

"The apprenticeship programme was perfect for me and others such as Leaving Certificate students who are unsure of what to do, employees in the sector who want to further their careers or career changers who cannot afford to give up their jobs for full-time education," said apprentice, Tsuika Cheung.

"You get two years’ work experience, which is so valuable when applying for jobs, and you earn while you learn."

Training fees are covered by state agency, SOLAS, with employers also able to avail of a grant of €2,000 per-year for each apprentice they employ.