Scots ICA looks for partner to boost training in England
The Scots ICA is to decide by the end of March on its partner to run training centres for newly acquired students south of the border.
As yet none of the major commercial education bodies, BPP, FTC or ATC, has been indicated as a preferred choice, but Accountancy Age understands that the Scots ICA has been in discussion with all of them.
The move by the Scottish body follows a decision by Ernst & Young to switch all new trainees to the ICAS, and a PricewaterhouseCoopers initiative to increase the number of its Scottish trained students to around 280.
Mark Alison, director of education and training at the Scots ICA, said the program was still in the planning stages but the institute planned to provide training for its new clients by September.
Deloitte & Touche, one of the only firms without a conflict of interest in the Scottish institute’s search for students, is currently advising the body on a training structure.
Several models for partnership are believed to have been developed at ICAS all of which have been discussed with the three education bodies.
Alison said: ‘We are unlikely to run ICAS-only training centres. We are more likely to work with partners. Everything is going to plan.’
ICAS is said to be content with its recent successe at winning new students and is not seeking to capture any more prize clients from the English ICA which has set about regaining lost ground by launching a revised syllabus.
EXCLUSIVE: PwC joins exodus from English ICA moving 285 students to Scots institute