New educational partnership provides real-world entrepreneurial & business skills
Head of the Department of Accounting & Business Computing at TUS Athlone Dr Trevor Prendergast and Head of Indirect Sales & Success at Sage Ireland Carmel Dawson announced the new partnership between TUS and Sage to provide a first-of-its-kind interactive e-learning portal for TUS accounting students, pictured here alongside accounting lecturers Thomas J O’Donoghue & Tao (Bernard) Cui and accounting student Tikambechi “Tikka” Mwalughali at TUS Athlone campus.
The Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) has partnered with Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), to provide a first-of-its-kind interactive e-learning portal for TUS accounting students.
The multi-year agreement provides students with real-world entrepreneurial and business skills leading to a full qualification that is supported by the ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants).
This collaboration is the first in which Sage Business Cloud software will be deployed by a university in Ireland using the innovative Sage Data Automarker, which allows learners to easily submit data for automatic assessment and immediate feedback.
Commenting on the announcement, Paul Struthers, managing director, Sage UK & Ireland, said, “At Sage, we aim to knock down barriers so everyone can thrive and this partnership with ACCA allows us to do just that.”
“We developed this qualification following research and feedback from thousands of accountants and in doing so are a trusted network for support and insight into how this profession operates. The comprehensive and interactive training uses real-life scenarios and data that allows for richer decision-making, insightful learning and a deeper understanding of the critical role accountants play for SMBs.”
Sage is uniquely positioned to offer this learning support. It has a proven track record in the accountant learning environment in the UK with more than 100,000 learners already progressing through its education system since its launch in 2012, with a 70% full-time employment rate following the course.
Tao Cui and Thomas J. O’ Donoghue, the accounting lecturers responsible for the delivery of this new Sage qualification at TUS Athlone, said, “We are delighted to partner with Sage for this new initiative. The skills we will nurture will perfectly complement the professional body accreditations already offered by the BA (Hons) in Accounting degree.”
“These additional certifications will ensure students are on the best possible trajectory for educational and professional development. We look forward to seeing our students’ capabilities grow and forging their future careers in the accounting profession.”
Caitriona Allis, head of ACCA Ireland, said, “ACCA recognises that software and technology is changing the role of the modern accountant. This new course will support students by providing them with crucial digital and financial learning materials for today’s job market.”
“We are excited and proud to begin this new collaboration with Sage in Ireland, to support TUS students in ensuring they develop the practical skills and understanding to set them on the right path to become successful accountancy professionals.”