When principal lecturer Mig Farinas-Almeida was searching for best practice in computerised accounting, he looked no further than the IAB. Mig has been running undergraduate programmes at the University of Greenwich for more than 10 years.

As part of the Sage and Microsoft programmes, he wanted to beef up the computerised accounting element. “We looked for best practice and started modelling on the IAB,’ he says. “I told them I would love to give our students the opportunity to study for the IAB Level 2 Award in Computerised Bookkeeping.” That initial conversation some 10 years ago began a fruitful partnership that continues to this day.

Students have done so well in recent years that the university was presented with a coveted IAB Gold Centre award in the House of Commons in 2016.

The IAB programme is part of a core module in the university’s BA degree courses in Accounting and Finance, and Accounting and Financial Systems.

Between them, some 150 second-year students have the opportunity to sit the exam annually, with more than 500 having taken it since Mig introduced it in 2007.

Mig concedes that the exam is a small part of the degree course but an “essential building block.”

“Bookkeeping knowledge is vital in the work of an accountant. It does all debtor and creditor control, all the vital elements of business management. Everything accountants do is under-pinned by double entry bookkeeping. If you don’t understand bookkeeping, you will be lost. “

Mig estimates that students taking the IAB programme perform better by around 12 percentage points in their overall Computerised Accounting module examinations.

He is convinced it also gives them the “X-Factor,” with those sitting it showing “a little more drive and commitment to perform better and gain a certificate.”

From a career perspective, Mig believes the IAB Level 2 Certificate in Computerised Bookkeeping offers “a high level of recognition from employers.”

An annual satisfaction survey has consistently found that students enjoyed the second year and the opportunity to take a professional exam.

It’s perhaps no coincidence that a national student survey ranked Greenwich among the top 10 universities offering accounting degrees.

Mig has nothing but praise for the IAB. “Our partnership has gone smoothly from the beginning, giving our students an edge both at university and in their career.”