Business and Accountancy students at the University of Ulster’s Magee campus have will have an added edge in the employment market, thanks to workshops facilitated by a local accountancy firm, Shaun McAteer & Co.

Full-time and part-time students on the BSc (Hons) Business Studies and BSc (Hons) Accounting and Managerial Finance programmes participated in the two day workshop which focused on the use of Excel to prepare accounting information, SAGE accounting software to produce financial statements and the completion of the HMRC income tax return.

Accountancy lecturer and lead organiser of the workshop, Claire Scott McAteer, explained the workshop was developed in response to the increasingly competitve jobs market.

“We felt the ‘hands on’ practical experience would give them an added edge and help enhance the employability prospects of our accountancy students when they leave university," she said.

“The successful interaction and collaboration with a professional chartered accountancy practice was key to ensuring that this workshop was relevant to the skills that employers expect from Ulster graduates seeking a Chartered Accountants Ireland training position.”

Mrs McAteer added: “The high level of student engagement also contributed to the success of this initial workshop. We hope to build on this successful foundation and make the employability workshop an annual event.”

Management and Accountancy lecturers, Helen Shiels and Clodagh Hegarty were also involved in the preparation and delivery of the workshop.

Workshop facilitator, Niall McAteer said: “As a local employer, I was delighted to be involved in the creation and delivery of the employability workshop at Magee.

“The professional skills that the students developed will be carried with them into their professional careers and I know that this will be of great value to prospective employers.”

All students who successfully prepared the spreadsheets, SAGE accounts and income tax return received a Certificate of Completion which was presented by Professor Marie McHugh, Dean of the Ulster Business School.In addition, cash prizes, sponsored by the accountancy practice, were presented to the four students who completed the most outstanding completed files.

Derry student Mark Power, one of the prizewinners said he found the workshop was extremely beneficial. “It gave me further insight into the type of work I hope to be undertaking soon as a trainee chartered accountant. The skills I developed at the workshop and the overall experience of working on a live case have provided me with the edge I need to increase my employability prospects.”

Caption: Professor Marie McHugh, Dean of the Ulster Business School and Niall McAteer, with award winning students who completed theEmployability Workshops developed bt the Ulster Business School at Magee in collaboration with Shaun McAteer & Co Accountants, from left Marc Power,part-time BSc (Hons) Business Studies with Accounting specialism programme, Danielle Campbell, final year student on the BSc (Hons) Business Studies with Accounting specialism programme and Michael Doherty, 2nd year student on the BSc (Hons) Accounting & Managerial Finance programme. Missing from the photo is another prize winning student, Danielle Doherty, a final year student on the BSc (Hons) Accounting & Managerial Finance programme.