IFA enhances accountancy education provision to give learners more flexibility

The Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA) is enhancing its prestigious education offering, with a programme of ‘roll-on, roll-off’ units in partnership with ATHE, a global awarding organisation regulated by Ofqual. Delivered under the IFA Direct brand, the education programme offers learners the chance to invest in their professional development, gain a practising certificate, and/or attain IFA membership.

Maintaining all the benefits of the previous programme, including a high-quality online learning environment, tutorial support and verifiable CPD points, the new programme comes with enhanced benefits to learners including:

  • a greater SME focus: it is ideal for accountants who specifically operate in an SME environment. This makes the learning more relevant to the size, scale and type of business that accountants are working with;
  • very current learning content: led by industry experts, the content is adapted to incorporate topical examples, supporting learners to tackle current business challenges, and ensure their focus is on practical application and not just theoretical learning;
  • ‘roll-on, roll-off’ flexibility: each learner can study how they want, when they want, without waiting for a specific enrolment date. This also allows them to move seamlessly from one unit to another and does not require them to run in line with the normal academic schedule;
  • portability of learning: each unit has transferable credits towards further education e.g. a top-up degree;
  • unit by unit learning: each learner can tailor their programme to their own learning needs, focusing on areas where they need to acquire more knowledge.

Susan Divall, Education Manager for the IFA comments “SME accountancy practitioners have always valued the benefits of learning through IFA direct, and we are delighted to build on that reputation with additional benefits to make the programme even more flexible and affordable. The units have been specifically designed to have a focus on practice in SME environments, and to make the learning scalable to the accountant’s needs. Our partnership with ATHE also provides greater international capabilities, so we can invite more of our international learners on board as well.”

The programme is open to any accountancy practitioner running or working within an SME practice as well as those working in an SME business. More information on the programme can be found at https://www.ifa.org.uk/ifadirect.