Gaining an AAT qualification with Home Learning College won’t just benefit you: your employer stands to profit from your new skills too. That’s why we believe more companies should be funding qualifications for their employees – it’s a win-win! Take a look at our top four reasons your company should be eager for you to get started straight away.

1. You’ll be better at your job. An AAT qualification isn’t just a certificate and a line on your LinkedIn page. No matter what level you study you’ll gain real, practical skills that you can apply in the workplace. You’ll be more productive, more efficient, and generally more capable.
   Because our AAT courses require no time off work, you can start delivering value right off the bat, before you even complete your course. Your boss will definitely notice the increased cost efficiencies and better run finances you’ll be delivering!
2. Your morale will improve. Studies have shown that 47.8% of employees working in SMEs feel their employer doesn’t take their personal development seriously*. Funding an AAT course is a fantastic way for your boss to show they care, and there are tangible benefits for doing this, too.
   Employees lacking in personal development can easily lose motivation; resulting in your productivity dropping, or even sparking a desire to move job altogether. An AAT course won’t just give you the tools to do better work; it will make you want to do better work. Training can improve employee loyalty and talent retention, so you can reassure your boss you’re not just looking to take the money and run!
3. The company’s reputation will improve. Obviously no one is going to be dazzled by the fact your boss paid for one person to go on an AAT course; but if your company begins to develop a culture of encouraging training, they’ll start to see some benefits.
   Potential clients or customers will be impressed with the fact there’s concrete certification of the excellence of you and your peers, and will feel reassured knowing that your business’s behind-the-scenes employees are of just as high quality as the client-facing ones. Furthermore, a reputation for providing quality training will also make your company more appealing to prospective new-hires, making recruitment easier and ensuring that you only attract the most passionate, outstanding candidates.
4. It will save your company money. This may be the point that makes your boss’s ears perk up the most. By paying for your AAT course your company could end up financially better off in the long run. This isn’t just because your new accounting skills could make the company run more efficiently; it’s also because upskilling existing employees almost always works out cheaper than having to hire someone new down the road to do the jobs you could have done with more training.
   You may also be willing to negotiate with your employer in order to make your proposition more appealing. For example, you might ask for your AAT funding to be given in lieu of a pay rise.
5. Access to accounting resources. With an AAT course, comes access to a whole host of relevent and high quality accounting materials such as industry news, best practice techniques, expert advice and leading accounting publications. This gives ou the opportunity to share all this fantastic insight (a show off a little) with your team.

If your boss is having any doubts about whether they should fund your AAT course, these points should help to dispel them! Your training will benefit productivity, morale, your company’s reputation, and even its bottom line! So when it comes to paying for your qualifications remember: it’s in their interest as well as yours.

If you want to find out more about our employer funding options, give one of our Course Advisors a call on 020 7173 5864. Not only can we answer any questions you might have, but we can also give you materials and advice on how to approach your employer and ask for funding. Or, if you prefer, you can let us make contact with your boss and we’ll make your case for you!

*BreatheHR, Personal Development in the Workplace, 2013