Education - Accounting bodies unite on national training, reports Phillip Inman.

The UK’s six major accountancy institutes are set to back proposals for a profession-wide training organisation. But the decision to support a single proposal could still be wrecked by behind-the-scenes wrangling.

The consultative committee of accountancy bodies will decide next month whether to take forward proposals from its education committee and the Association of Accounting Technicians to support the creation of a national training organisation for accountants.

NTOs are government-backed schemes which allow employees to progress through National Vocational Qualifications into professional and higher-grade qualifications.

David Hunt, a partner at Pannell Kerr Forster and head of the training committee, said the proposal had gone to a meeting of all the institute presidents, but refused to reveal the committee’s recommendation.

Insiders said the committee had given its backing and it was likely the presidents would endorse the plan. But ACCA and CIMA remained reluctant to introduce training at NVQ level 5, which would provide the main link into the profession.

The government has demanded total support for the plan from all the institutes before it gives the go-ahead.