Plans by the profession to gain government approval for a single education and training body are being undermined by internal wrangles that could lead to the break-up of the venture, writes Phillip Inman.
Last month, the government rejected proposals from the CCAB ande education and training body are being undermined by internal wrangles that could lead to the break-up of the venture, writes Phillip Inman. Association of Accounting Technicians for a single authority to oversee education and training in the accounting field.
Insiders believe the scheme was rebuffed because the group failed to present a coherent proposal that would allow students to use NVQs as a route into the profession.
As a result, the Department for Education & Employment said the profession must set up and fund a single body to show its commitment to the idea before it received government backing.
The decision has thrown the profession’s plans into disarray. At a meeting next month, the CCAB will determine if the institutes are prepared to fund a National Training Organisation, which is a central plank of the DfEE’s training initiative for all industries and professions.
Insiders said it was likely the institutes would abandon the project.
They added that ACCA and CIMA had offered most resistance to the scheme.
Anthea Rose, ACCA chief executive, admitted the association was lukewarm when the scheme was proposed, but denied the submission had been undermined by internal wrangles.
She said ACCA was committed to the project now, and that everyone wanted to know if the scheme would eventually receive government backing before they contributed any funds.
David Hunt, chairman of the joint working party, said: ‘You will always get varying degrees of enthusiasm for a project like this.’ He added it was possible the AAT would press ahead with more enthusiastic institutes or other outside bodies.