Foundations in Accountancy and the CAT qualification

Finance is the universal language of business – in every sector in every country. Having staff that understand this language is valuable. And not just within your finance function. Marketing, human resources, logistics, production – whatever the function or department, decision-making will be shaped by finance. So, being able understand the figures and read a balance sheet or P&L account is a real boost to the business literacy of your team.

Foundations in Accountancy (FIA) is a group of business and finance qualifications designed for people at the beginning of their journey towards financial literacy. It’s the ideal education platform for employers seeking to upskill their teams, either to work in finance functions or to understand how finance works within the wider organisational structure.

Whatever their role, FIA will give your employees the technical financial knowledge and business understanding to expand their contribution and deliver more for your business.

Key benefits

  • Builds understanding of the universal language of business
  • Delivers technical financial skills and business understanding through a global leader in financial education
  • Emphasises the requirement for high ethical and professional standards around finance
  • Helps to reduce employee turnover and recruitment costs
  • Flexible study options
  • Open to everyone – there are no academic entry requirements
  • Potential for rapid progress: the complete FIA group of exams can be completed in 12-18 months
  • Entry route to a career in finance and accounting

FIA begins at a level equivalent to a UK GCSE (Level 2), International Baccalaureate or MYP, and progresses up to the equivalent of the first year of a bachelor's degree (Level 4). There are no minimum entry requirements. However, we recommend that staff with no formal qualifications should start at Level 2, especially if it’s been a while since they completed any studies.

FIA is a group of business qualifications that will benefit your team, regardless of whether they are performing finance-related roles. Understanding how financial information is recorded and interpreted, will enable them to contribute to decision-making, capture and communicate important information and broaden their impact within your business.

And, as an employer, supporting your team’s professional development is a powerful way of communicating how you value them, reducing employee turnover and its associated recruitment costs.

Want your team to learn the language of business? Get started here.

Apply online

Start your application for the ACCA Qualification or a Foundations in Accountancy qualification online today