Newbridge student, Leanda Houlihan achieves one of Ireland's highest accounting technician marks online

Kildare resident Leanda Houlihan has secured one of the top marks in the country in the Diploma for Accounting Technicians programme this year.

Accounting Technicians Ireland’s qualification is recognised as the fastest pathway to a professional accounting career. Leanda (34) from Newbridge was able to study online while staying at home to mind her two children.

“I had given up work as a hedge fund accountant to mind my two children and thought this course would be great to help me back into the workforce when the children got older,” she said, “I found it amazing in even just teaching life skills in general – there was a lot I didn’t realise about taxation.

SEE ALSO: Bike run in memory of Newbridge’s Noirín Conlan

“I did the course online but the help and support you get is like as if you were sitting there right beside the tutors. I’m now looking forward to forwarding my studies with the ATI and getting back to work part-time.”

The Accounting Technicians Ireland qualification is a passport to a rewarding career in accountancy or business. With flexible courses nationwide, you can obtain this professional qualification in as little as two years. 

ATI’s qualifications, offered full or part-time in over 70 colleges throughout the island, are open to school and college leavers, mature students and the countless number of people who have been working in industry or small practice firms for years but have no formal training. 

The accounting qualification provides access to employment opportunities for a broad range of accounting and finance roles and will enable students to further progress to senior financial management posts. 

“This is a pan-sectoral qualification which meets the needs of industry, practice and the public sector, and graduates enjoy exemptions from the full range of professional accountancy bodies including Chartered Accountants Ireland, ACCA, CPA, CIMA as well as Higher Education third level accounting programmes,” said Gillian Doherty, ATI’s Chief Operations Officer.  

“Many businesses finance the programme for potential Accounting Technicians – recognising the benefits of having a qualified technician run the financial side of the business while the owner develops the entrepreneurial end.”