TWO LEADING UK COMPANIES CHOOSE ICAS TRAINING - 29 September 2004

Two of the UK 's top companies have chosen CA training for their next generation of business and financial professionals, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) has announced today.

Oil giant BP and Norwich Union, the UK 's largest insurance provider, will both provide training places under the Institute's TOPP (Training Outside Public Practice) scheme

ICAS points out that employers are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit qualified accountants.   Many organisations are realising the merits of training professionals from scratch within their own businesses. The TOPP scheme provides a training solution which caters for the fast paced change experienced by business.

Derek Hynds , North Sea Regional Financial Controller at BP, said:

"BP has an excellent programme for graduates developed over a number of years and across many disciplines.   The recruitment of graduates into the Financial Control & Accounting function for the first time is seen as an important part of maintaining our capability to meet the growing expectations now being faced particularly in the areas of reporting and the internal financial controls. We considered the skills acquired through the CA TOPPS programme to be particularly relevant to the role of the Financial Control & Accounting function within BP."     

Martin Cheetham , Financial Reporting Project Manager at Norwich Union, said:

" Norwich Union is seeking to generate high- calibre qualified accountants, with a breadth of relevant commercial experience, for whom there will be an on-going structured career.   We chose ICAS as the provider of our professional qualification as our research identified it as a proactive qualification, which is quick to update its curriculum to meet technical and commercial developments while maintaining core values of professional accountants. ICAS is attractive to candidates who are seeking a technically based qualification, while working in industry.   The level of retention achieved by existing ICAS employers was influential in our choice"

Standard Life has been using the TOPP scheme training for over 12 years.    Lisa Meldrum , Training Principal at Standard Life, points out:

“Since we started training our own CAs we have experienced retention rates of 88%.   Our CA students and qualifieds are in high demand group-wide, which is why we will continue to recruit new graduates each year onto the TOPP scheme.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

1.         

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) is the world's first professional body of accountants, receiving its Royal Charter in 1854.   ICAS has over 15,000 members worldwide and the CA designation is reserved exclusively for their use in the UK .

2.         

Under the Royal Charter, the Institute works in the public interest.   The objective of ICAS is to uphold the integrity and standing of the profession of chartered accountancy in the interests of society and the membership, through excellence in education and the development of accountancy and through service to members and the enforcement of professional standards.

3.         

The Institute is celebrating its 150 ^th Anniversary throughout 2004 with a series of events to mark the occasion.

4.         

The ICAS TOPP scheme was launched in 1994.     It allows graduates keen to work in industry, commerce and the public sector to spend the duration of their CA training in those areas.   Currently there are 60 students undertaking their CA training through the TOPP scheme.

Contact: Christine Waugh
Tel: 0131 347 0309
E-mail: publicrelations@icas.org.uk