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ACCA membership consultations 2006

During 2006, over 450 affiliates attended membership consultations around the world. These events - held in the Caribbean, Singapore, Ireland and the UK - enable affiliates and Part 3 students to have their membership application forms and Student Training Records assessed by ACCA staff. Affiliates and students can also find out how they are progressing towards membership with tailored advice on how to get any remaining experience that they may need.

The most recent membership consultations took place at the beginning of December 2006 in London. Over 100 affiliates attended and took the opportunity to discuss their particular circumstances with ACCA staff. Of the 103 affiliates seen, 63 came to discuss their membership forms with 41 being accepted by the membership team for processing. Forty affiliates met with ACCA's business relationship managers to discuss their experience and also whether they needed any more competences.

For some affiliates, receiving notification of the membership event provided the much needed incentive to get them to fill in the membership form. Paul Nicholson completed his exams at the end of 1997. 'I have worked for the same company since then and haven't really had the need to apply for membership,' he explains. 'However, when I received the e-mail about the membership consultation it triggered me into doing something about it. It gave me a date to work towards.'

Paul works as an accounting manager at Total Oil UK and Europe in Canary Wharf in London. 'Total Oil encourages us to change our roles every three to four years for our own personal interest and development and also so that we can experience all areas of the business. As such, getting the experience requirements has been relatively straightforward,' explains Paul, who handed in his membership form at the event and achieved ACCA membership at the end of December 2006.

With the introduction of the new practical experience requirements that come in to effect with the new ACCA Qualification, inevitably, some affiliates came to get their questions answered about how the changes would affect them. Silpa Sheth passed her exams 10 years ago and got 18-months' experience under her belt before taking a career break to start her family. She came to the membership consultations to find out how to start to get her practical experience. 'I am now looking to return to work to gain membership and I wanted some guidance to get me started. But I understand that because I have only got 18 months of experience, I will come under the new practical experience requirements. Today has been useful because I now realise that I need to find out more, especially how I can transfer my experience and work on getting the new performance objectives.'

Affiliate Nickesha Morris attended the membership consultation with her manager Elaine Edwards. Working as a client accountant at property and asset management company Jones Lang LaSalle, Nickesha thought it would be useful for Elaine to attend the event with her so that they could both hear the advice. 'Today has been extremely useful,' says Elaine. 'We had thought that Nickesha had enough key areas, but today we have realised that she needs seven more areas,' she adds.

'Understanding that I still have seven more key areas to obtain makes me realise that we have to be organised and focused in order that I can apply for membership before the new practical experience requirements come in,' admits Nickesha. 'My annual appraisal is due soon, so we will work out goals in order to achieve the key competences. Elaine and I will also draft what areas I have done in the past six months and then map them to the STR.'

Elaine explains that she will look at 'loaning' Nickesha out internally so that she can get her relevant experience. 'It is in my best interests as Nickesha's manager that I make sure she gets her relevant experience and becomes an ACCA member,' she adds.

'Jones Lang LaSalle has just received ACCA linked employer status,' says Elaine. 'It has been really useful to find out what I can expect from our ACCA contacts and it will help me to help my staff.'

ACCA will be holding more membership consultations throughout 2007. Contact info@accaglobal.com for more information. 

From student accountant magazine