Daniel Westley, Middle East spokesperson, Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) responded to our questions by email and clarified five benefits to taking up a course or multiple courses under the AAT umbrella. Based in the United Kingdom, the AAT is a certification body for vocational accountants and has over 133,000 members. It has recently set up shop in the UAE for accountants who wish to get certified.
Here is how AAT can help you find your dream job;
1. Choose a course that is perfect for you
All you need to do is contact a training provider in an area near you which you can do by going on to the AAT website which lists certified trainers in the UAE. They then can help you choose a course based on your specific professional requirements.
“AAT offers a wide range of topnotch and highly diverse finance qualification options designed to help boost our students’ broad ranging business and specialist tax skills.” Daniel Westley told Gulf News Guides.
2. Jobs or roles AAT qualifications could help the most
According to AAT experts, the Foundation (Level 2) qualification is highly recommended for accounts administrator, accounts assistant, accounts payable clerk, bookkeeper, payroll administrator, purchase/sales ledger clerk, tax assistant/trainee, and trainee accounts technician. The Advanced (Level 3) qualification is designed for accounts payable staff, expenses supervisor, audit trainee, credit controller, finance assistant, payroll supervisor, practice bookkeeper, and tax assistant.
Lastly, the Professional (Level 4) qualification is recommended for assistant financial accountant, commercial analyst, cost accountant, fixed asset accountant, indirect tax manager, payroll manager, senior bookkeeper, and senior finance officer.
3. Salary increase after qualifications
While there has been no research specific to the UAE, in the United Kingdom, a survey in 2015 showed that there has been significant increase in income after taking up these qualifications. Daniel Westley added, “For example, the MAAT-level professionals’ average basic full-time salary of £29,925 (Dh134,892) in 2015 grew significantly to £38,225 (Dh172,306) upon completion of the FMAAT level. While this is data from our UK members, the principle is still the same wherever our students are”.
4. AAT exemptions for accounting qualifications like ACCA
Upon being asked about exemptions, Westley said, “Completion of AAT’s Professional Diploma in Accounting (Level 4) makes students eligible for exemptions from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants’ (ACCA) F1 (Accountant in Business), F2 (Management Accounting), and F3 (Financial Accounting) modules”.
5. Why take up AAT
AAT promises to give students practical and real experience while getting a solid foundation in accountancy principles. AAT qualifications are accessible to all and offer flexible modes of learning and examination, to suit students who are working or with non-flexible schedules. The courses also focus on communication skills to enable effective dialogue skills.
