Saffery Champness has awarded bursaries to two local students to enable them to study for the Foundation in Accountancy (FiA) certificate in Guernsey.
The FiA is a starting point for school leavers who want to progress to obtaining the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Certified Accounting Technician Status (CAT) as well as the ACCA qualification but have no experience in accounting.
Beneficiaries Henrietta Aldwell and Carter Rogers are the first students to be awarded the bursary from Saffery Champness and embarked on their studies with BPP Professional Education in July.
Henrietta said: “During my A Level studies at the Grammar School and Sixth Form Centre I became interested in pursuing a career in accounting but my options to study on island were limited.
“Saffery Champness’ bursary scheme has given me the opportunity to receive specialist training from a leading provider of professional education without having to go to university.
Head of business and economics at the Grammar School and Sixth Form Centre, Neale McCarley, said: “The scheme was designed to provide a number of talented young people on the island with the opportunity to gain a sound understanding of accountancy and start their journey into the world of work.
“Due to the generous funding of local firms like Saffery Champness, we have been able to offer this opportunity to eight students and with this continued support we hope to make the scheme available to more students in the future.”
As one of the largest independent providers of professional services on the island Saffery Champness understands the importance of investing in school leavers and that it is crucial for the development of young talent to learn specialist skills.
Carter said: “Embarking on my studies with BPP has been an exciting experience and I’m grateful to Saffery Champness for giving me the opportunity to study while working for them.
“It’s great that this course is now available on island and I would highly recommend it for students wanting to embark on a career in accounting.”
Saffery Champness currently employs 125 people in its Guernsey office and has seen many individuals progress from junior roles to senior management including managing director Nick Batiste who started with the company as a trainee trust administrator in 1992.
With the guidance and support of the BPP tutors Henrietta and Carter both completed the first two exams in the certificate over the summer and began working at Saffery Champness in early September.
Audit partner at Saffery Champness, Jeremy Ellis, said: “We are proud to be offering Henrietta and Carter the opportunity to gain their FiA qualification. As a firm we have a strong culture of supporting the learning and development of our employees by providing opportunities to develop their professional technical abilities.
“We wish them every success as they embark on their careers in accounting with Saffery Champness and look forward to aiding their professional development.”