Approved Employer criteria and evidence requirements ...

1 Approved Employer criteria and evidence requirements trainee development streamDetailed guidance for employersIntroduction: Approved Employer criteriaPart 1: Evidenced targets GoldPart 2: Evidenced targets PlatinumPart 3: Best practice statements Gold and PlatinumContentsDETAILED GUIDANCE FOR EMPLOYERS Approved Employer criteria AND evidence requirements trainee DEVELOPMENT2 Introduction: Approved Employer criteriaTrainee DevelopmentProfessional DevelopmentGOLDPLATINUMThe Employer ensures that ACCA trainees working in the organisation are aware of ACCA s Practical Experience Requirement (PER)Trainees working for the Employer are given leave to study for and sit ACCA examsPractical Experience Supervisors are appropriately qualified to sign off Performance Objectives.

2 And they review practical experience with ACCA trainees at least once every 12 monthsThe Employer reviews trainees exam progress at least once every 12 monthsThe Employer provides ACCA trainees with opportunities to complete a range of activities that fulfil ACCA s performance objectivesTrainees and their Practical Experience Supervisors are aware of the importance of ethics and professionalism in the workplaceACCA trainees working for the Employer are provided with financial support to achieve ACCA membershipANDThe Employer will pay the one-off admission fee when a trainee applies for ACCA membership and / or the membership subscription feeThe Employer supports their ACCA trainees to complete the ACCA Qualification by being aware of the ACCA resources available to support trainees and actively encouraging their employees to use these resourcesANDE ncouraging trainees to complete ACCA s Ethics & Professional Skills Module before attempting any exams at Strategic ProfessionalThe Employer provides ACCA trainees with access to personal computers / internet in the workplace and time to access ACCA resources onlinePlatinum Approved Employers must be able to meet all of the criteria for Gold approval PLUS the following additional criteria .

3 ACCA members working with the Employer are aware of ACCA s CPD requirementsLine managers discuss the relevance and application of CPD activities with ACCA members at least once every 12 monthsACCA members are supported to identify and complete relevant development activities aligned to their role and career ambitionsACCA members working with the Employer are aware of the importance of ethics and professionalism in the workplaceThe Employer provides detailed information on the range of opportunities for ACCA members to develop against their role and career ambitionsTrainee DevelopmentAPPROVED Employer ASSESSMENT MATRIXA pplications for ACCA s Approved Employer Professional development and trainee development streams of approval are assessed against a combination of evidenced targets and best practice statements.

4 ACCA awards approval to employers who can meet all of the targets and statements for their chosen stream and level of 1 and 2 of this booklet provide detailed guidance on each of the evidenced targets required to become an ACCA Approved Employer under the trainee development stream of approval. The following information is provided for each evidenced target: Target description: full description of the target as shown in the Approved Employer Programme Handbook How to show you meet this target: a list of statements explaining what your documentary evidence must demonstrate, plus a list of suggested documentary evidence Supporting information: additional information about the rationale for the target, suggested good practice and links to useful informationPart 2 of this booklet provides an overview of each of the best practice statements that we expect our Approved Employers to commit to under the trainee development stream of Evidenced target documentary evidence to be supplied with application Best practice statement no documentary evidence required Practising certificate development evidence checked post-approval3 DETAILED GUIDANCE FOR EMPLOYERS Approved Employer criteria AND evidence requirements trainee DEVELOPMENTPart 1.

5 Evidenced targets trainee development GoldHOW TO SHOW YOU MEET THIS TARGETYour supporting evidence must clearly show that: Your organisation has nominated a Practical Experience Supervisor (PES) to sign off performance objectives for ACCA trainees Your nominated PES holds an appropriate qualification from an IFAC membership body, or is a qualified accountant recognised by law in your country Your nominated PES understands and agrees to the responsibilities of the INFORMATIONI ntroduction your obligations as an Approved EmployerAs an Approved Employer , your trainees should have access to an appropriately qualified individual within your company to act as their practical experience supervisor (PES).

6 A practical experience supervisor is an individual who supports DESCRIPTIONP ractical Experience Supervisors are appropriately qualified to sign off performance objectives, and they review practical experience with ACCA trainees at least once every 12 NOTEAll ACCA trainees must be supported by a Practical Experience Supervisor (PES) to oversee their achievement of the performance an Approved Employer you will make sure your trainees have access to a qualified accountant within your organisation who can act as their PES will help your trainees to plan for achieving performance objectives in line with their work and study. They will set timescales and performance targets with your trainees.

7 And they will evaluate and review your trainees progress towards meeting their performance objectives regularly (at least once every 12 months).We will need to check that your nominated PES is qualified by an IFAC-recognised accountancy body. We may be able to do this using their membership number and/or other relevant details. Alternatively we may need to ask your nominated PES to send us documentary evidence of their evidence Completed Practical Experience Supervisor verification form* completed by your nominated PES and providing details of their qualification (mandatory) documentary evidence of IFAC body membership (optional at ACCA s request)* The Practical Experience Supervisor verification form will be sent to the contact details provided for your nominated PES in your applicationtrainees development in the workplace and reviews their progress and achievement at is important that practical experience supervisors have the knowledge and experience to support your trainees.

8 They will be assessing whether they have met ACCA s performance objectives so it is essential they have the expertise to do DOCUMENTATION A completed Practical Experience Supervisor (PES) verification form (emailed to your nominated PES by ACCA)ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION COULD INCLUDE If your nominated PES s membership body does not host a web-based directory that covers their membership, we will need to see documentary evidence of their qualification. This evidence could include: Copy of a membership certificate Copy of a current membership card Copy of a recent invoice for membership fees Copy of any other recent correspondence confirming their membershipMore information is available on the role and responsibilities of a practical experience supervisor and the personal and organisation s benefit undertaking this role can Experience Supervisor verification formThe Practical Experience Supervisor verification form will provide all of the evidence we need for this GUIDANCE FOR EMPLOYERS Approved Employer criteria AND evidence requirements trainee DEVELOPMENT4 Part 1.

9 Evidenced targets trainee development GoldThe purpose of the form is to verify that your nominated PES: is appropriately qualified to sign off performance objectives for ACCA trainees working in your organisation; and agrees to the roles and responsibilities of acting as a Practical Experience Supervisor for ACCA trainees working with an Approved sign off performance objectives for ACCA trainees your PES must be a qualified accountant who holds a professional membership from a member body of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), or is recognised by law in your country. The PES does not need to have held their qualification for a set period of time, but their qualification should be up to date (they should not have been suspended by their membership body, for instance).

10 IFAC is the International Federation of Accountants, and a list of current member bodies is available from their website at nominated PES will need to provide us with details of their professional qualification. We may also need to ask them to provide some documentary evidence of their as a practical experience supervisorYour nominated PES will be asked to confirm that they have read, understood and agree to the following statements: I understand that ACCA s trainees need to complete 36 months employment in a relevant accounting and finance role and achieve a total of nine performance objectives to complete their Practical Experience Requirement (PER) I am familiar with ACCA s Essentials and Technical performance objectives, and I understand that it is my responsibility to oversee the achievement of ACCA trainees working in this organisation.