Xero UK Equivalency Certification: Empowering the next generation of advisors

At Xero, a lot of our efforts go into supporting accountants and bookkeepers as their roles evolve. Educating and empowering them through the right tools and skills is as important as the software itself.

In the UK, 100,000 jobs are waiting to be filled in the tech sector, and almost half a million more are to come in the next few years.* Demand for digital skills is just as high in the accounting and bookkeeping industry. It’s not just colleges and universities that can plug this gap – it needs to go broader.

We recently launched our Equivalency Certification to provide budding accountants and bookkeepers in the UK with online accounting skills to help them succeed.

Today, 14 businesses, including Reed, Kaplan, Avado, NotgoingtoUni, IAB, ICB, AAT, ACCA and ICAEW have signed up – and 2,000 individuals have registered. These numbers are growing daily.

What’s involved:

Xero’s Equivalency Certification provides a solid grounding in cloud accounting. Previously, it was only available to Xero’s accounting and bookkeeping partners. It’s now been updated to suit the requirements of any industry professional.

The course consists of:

• A pack of e-learning courses: At only eight hours, it’s a short, sweet, but a wide-ranging introduction to the world of cloud technology – and Xero.
• Cloud fundamentals: Digestible, accessible content covers issues such as banking and projects, while lessons such as ‘Why Cloud, Why Now?’ are available to clearly articulate the benefits of this software.
• Introduction to Xero technology: Individuals will learn how to set up and run Xero on a day-to-day basis, use the Dashboard and create reports – but also achieve skills in the management of expenses, projects and fixed assets.

Why this is important:

83% of advisors believe that understanding technology is as important to their jobs as understanding accountancy. But 35% also believe there simply isn’t enough education or training available to keep up with digital transformation.

Making Tax Digital for VAT will be mandatory from 1 April 2019. It’s never been more urgent to get to grips with technological practices. Closing the knowledge gap is now a matter of professional necessity.

Cloud technology has evolved from a nice-to-have to a must-have.

The relationship between accountants and bookkeepers and their clients is changing. Old-style ‘compliance accounting’, where professionals make sure ‘the right items have the right codes in the right accounts’, is increasingly automated. It’s been replaced by ‘advisory’ accounting that requires more business acumen and strategic thinking.

In 2019, those already equipped with cloud accounting skills will be at a huge advantage. This course provides vital technological training at a time where it’s becoming a prerequisite for interviews – and increasingly central to professional success.

Even at this early stage, we’ve seen individuals take the course and go on to get a job at a Xero Bookkeeping or Accounting partner.

If you are a UK Training Provider and wish to offer this Certification then please contact ukequivcert@xero.com and we will provide you with a full brand kit and a promo code specific to your organisation, making this free of charge to your students. There is no better way of providing added-value and employability in this digital age.

*According to research conducted by the Daily Telegraph.

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Source: Xero Blog