15 April 2019

According to the Australian Government’s Job Outlook the number of Accountants grew very strongly over the past five years and is expected to grow further over the next five years: from 199,200 in 2018 to 207,200 by 2023. There are likely to be around 84,000 job openings over five years – that is about 16,800 a year.

Bradley Bennet, a Bogangar NSW resident, is geared to complete an Advanced Diploma of Accounting with TAFE NSW with a clear pathway to fast tracking an Associate Degree of Accounting at university.

Mr Bennett said, “When planning my career progression, I understood that accounting is universal with every business having specific financial requirements. With that in mind, I researched the best online study pathway to fit in with my busy lifestyle while working full-time.”

After being highly recommended to study with TAFE Digital due to the curricula legislative currency, national accreditation and online resources, Mr Bennett completed a Certificate IV, Diploma and three specialist Skills Sets in Accounting and Finance. “I am in the process of enrolling in an Advanced Diploma of Accounting with TAFE NSW and have received confirmation that on completion, it equates to a 60% credit transfer for an Associate Degree I am planning to study at university.”

As an Accounts Manager at Attwood Marshall Lawyers, Mr Bennett specialises in legal trust accounting. He said that his studies have provided his employer with the benefits of industry-recognised qualifications, and given him entry into professional accounting bodies such as the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers and the Institute of Public Accountants. “Certificate IV in Bookkeeping was the foundation qualification for working in the industry and the stepping stone for professional body membership, while being a pathway to higher education,” said Mr Bennett.

“I practice legal trust accounting and enjoy the variety of financial management and compliance tasks required in this role,” he said. “The endless range of challenges I face on a daily basis keeps me on my toes - from property settlements to estate distributions, billing clients, payroll and law society audit obligations.”

The BAS Agent Registration Skill Set was a natural progression for Mr Bennet to meet educational requirements to be a registered BAS Agent with the Tax Practitioners Board and contributed to credits towards studying a Diploma of Accounting with TAFE Digital. The Commercial Law for Tax Agents Skills Set provided him with the knowledge for his daily tasks in the legal industry.

There is the old cliché that ‘online study suits a busy schedule’, but according to Mr Bennet ‘life is busy’. “Online study has been, and will continue to be the norm for me,” he said. “It was the staged progression model, with units and stand-alone qualifications available online that offers a clear and defined pathway from Certificate IV, towards the Diploma and Advanced Diploma that appealed to me the most.”

Media contact: Bonny Gunn, TAFE Digital Media Business Partner. M: 0417 134 048.