FIGURES ISSUED on May 9 show that 1999 was another record year of growth for the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), with membership and student figures combined exceeding the 100,000 mark.
A release from the AAT said that highlights of 1999 include:
Membership figures exceeded the 30,000 landmark, reaching 30,682, up 26 per cent from 1998
There were 23,924 new student registrations to the Education and Training Scheme, taking total Student figures to more than 70,000
6,230 students completed the Technician Stage
24,525 AAT certificates were awarded, an increase of 21 per cent on the previous year
Average monthly Website hits have reached 650,000
The posting of Central Assessment results on the Website gave AAT Students instant access.
According to the AAT, the trend looks set to continue with major achievements for the association in the first quarter of this year already including the achievement of Investors in People status, in recognition of the Association's commitment to improving performance through developing its staff.
AAT chief executive, Jane Scott Paul was quoted in the release as saying, "The association is highly valued by employers, and members, affiliates and students alike. The standards and quality of our competence-based qualifications mean they are in great demand, and we expect to maintain these excellent levels of growth in 2000.
"There is a growing expectation of finance staff, who are becoming much more involved with interpretation and decision support and far less with number crunching. By continuing to develop and expand our range of qualifications, we are ensuring that our members, affiliates and students have the relevant skills to keep up with the fast pace of business change.
"In addition, we believe that the continuing support provided to members, through our CPD Scheme gives us the edge on other training schemes."
