CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy) : Employer profile

Company profile

Company profile

The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) is one of the leading professional accountancy bodies in the UK and the only one that specialises in the public services. We have been successfully training accountants, financial managers and auditors for 125 years.

Our 14,000 members work throughout local and central government, health, charities, private sector firms and in other bodies where public money needs to be effectively and efficiently managed.

Career prospects

Many CIPFA students find their career progresses very quickly. With their new skills, many are promoted before they qualify and on completion go onto bigger and better things. The majority of Finance Directors in local government and the NHS are CIPFA members because the qualification has given them the skills and insights to reach the very top.

As a Trainee CIPFA Accountant you could earn over £25,000 (depending on location), with those newly qualified often earning in excess of £35,000. Better still, most organisations will offer full financial support for your study, in addition to several other benefits.

As a full CIPFA Member, you could earn £40,000 as a Senior Auditor, £50,000 as a Finance Manager and £100,000+ as a Director.

Trainee vacancies

There are many public sector employers currently looking to recruit graduates to study for the CIPFA Professional Qualification, such as the Audit Commission, Department for Work and Pensions, NHS, Society of London Treasurers' Scheme and the Metropolitan Police.

There are also many private sector companies training for CIPFA, such as KPMG, PKF, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Grant Thornton.

To see a full list of employers currently taking on trainees please go to www.cipfa.org.uk/trainee.

CIPFA Professional Qualification The CIPFA Professional Qualification will take on average three years, and will most commonly be completed while working for a public sector organisation or an organisation working with the public sector. The course is broken into three stages; Certificate, Diploma and the Final Test of Professional Competence, with each stage awarding a recognised qualification and designatory letters that can be used after your name. The course covers the full breadth of professional skills required by organisations to enable you to operate effectively and successfully in today's demanding world. Dovetailing your work programme with your CIPFA studies will mean that you will be able to give more back to your employer, quicker, giving you the best opportunities for rapid promotion. The skills gained while studying CIPFA are fully transferable to finance roles in both the public and private sectors.

How to apply

Register as a CIPFA student by calling us on 020 7543 5656 or visit www.cipfa.org.uk/slc

Application by: June exams: Deadline late March. December exams: Deadline late September.