Ask any CEO – an accurate and efficient Payroll is vital to each and every business. As a business owner this means investing in a certified payroll professional, somebody with a thorough understanding of the operation of the PAYE system and the workings of payroll. For somebody interested in the area there has never been a better time to take the opportunity to get started or to up-skill. Over the last 5 years, there has been an evolution in payroll with the move to online payroll software such as BrightPay.
What is payroll training?
Payroll training is a course or program that teaches you how to correctly process payroll for your employees. This includes calculating wages, PAYE, USC, as well as issuing payments and preparing tax returns. This type of training can be beneficial for business owners, employees, and students who are interested in pursuing a career in payroll.
What types of payroll training exist?
There are a few different types of payroll training. The most common type is online training, which can be accessed through a variety of websites and course providers. There are also classroom-based courses offered by some colleges and universities, as well as private training companies. Courses range from free to approx €1,500.
What to look for in payroll training
The program should be up-to-date with the latest legislation. This is important to ensure compliance and avoid any penalties.
The course should offer plenty of opportunities for practice. This will allow you to build confidence and become proficient in processing payroll. It is important that this includes access and practice on recognised payroll software like BrightPay as you will be using software on the job.
The program should offer support and opportunity for discussion. This is especially important if you’re new to payroll or have any questions along the way.
The learning should be delivered by experienced and knowledgeable instructors. This will ensure that you’re getting high-quality training that’s relevant to your needs.
The best programmes are externally quality assured by an independent quality assurance agency or university. They offer formal certification, access to professional awarding bodies for ongoing support and the ability to use designatory letters after your name.
An excellent career opportunity
The payroll function is probably the only function which affects every employee in every company. Employers need to ensure that payroll staff are given the necessary training to enable them to perform their duties to the highest standard. Apart from the positive effect on all staff, which an accurate and efficient payroll service will generate, employers need to ensure that inadequate or inaccurate knowledge of their payroll staff does not lead to problems with the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Social Protection and the Workplace Relations Commission. In the present era of self-assessment and Revenue audits, professionally qualified payroll staff can make a huge difference to the financial and functional performance of any business
Want to make a bigger impact in your career?
Payroll is gone digital
Today, it’s been millennia since we’ve abandoned the old token system used by the bookkeepers of Babylon — and we’ve adopted and abandoned plenty of other manual methodologies since then.
In the 21st century, the most universal business process is the digital transformation — more and more businesses are moving both their internal and consumer-facing processes online for better ease of use.
But this doesn’t mean payroll professionals will become redundant — on the contrary, evolving technology makes them more useful and relevant than ever before. Payroll professionals simply need to realise that technology isn’t making them obsolete; it’s just changing their role. Instead of being in charge of data entry, their role evolves to focus more on data management.
There are plenty of cloud-based technologies that can help payroll professionals ride the wave of innovation instead of standing firm against it. Companies like Brightpay are providing solutions that allow payroll administrators to increase their efficiency and become more productive than ever before.
The added benefit, the ability to be able to work remotely
We’ve gone through huge transitions as a society in the last few months. With most offices closed, employees were tasked with setting up desks at home, often times juggling busy workloads with parenting demands.
Workplaces are now back open. And though many people will look forward to getting back into a familiar routine, for others the thought of going back to a regular 9-5 routine in the office is daunting. While the worries vary, the long commute, including the time and rising cost of same, the cost of childcare, and less time for the hobbies and habits built up during lockdown are top of most people’s lists. For others, it’s the simple things like eating a better lunch at home, or taking more walks, and a general improved life balance that are of most concern.
Working from home was a big natural experiment. You may have learned a lot about what helps and hurts your productivity, and helps you feel happy. For those whom the ‘experiment’ worked for are intent on taking actions to ensure that it continues to work for them.
But here is the real opportunity. Payroll has gone digital. With the wide adoption of online payroll software and the push by Revenue to move to live reporting of business transactions, certified payroll skills are increasingly in-demand. The evolution of online payroll provides people with certified skills, the opportunity to work remotely or start their own business.
What do I need to make this happen?
Learn the Skills
Professional Diplomas are short sharp skills-based programmes designed specifically for learners who want to develop skills, to future proof their employability. These short, expert practitioner-led courses offer a flexible and more targeted way to gain desired skills and knowledge. A Professional Diploma or certification is the ideal way to stay competitive and relevant in the changing workplace.
The best Providers of Professional Diplomas work hand in hand with industry to ensure the learning content contains the most up-to-date skills, core competencies and knowledge needed for you to thrive in the era of digital disruption. Industry Endorsement, through an expert industry advisory group for example, ensures your syllabus matches the skills that employers value most. This is an important aspect of ensuring you have the right skills.
Prove you have the skills
If you are considering working from home either as a remote employee or self employed, the ability to be able to prove that you have the skills is critical.
University verified Professional Diplomas certify that the holder masters the skills, abilities and knowledge necessary to perform a job. They enable the acquisition of specific professional skills to support employability and professional development of employees.
University certification ensures your programme content is externally quality assured and your programme is officially part of your country’s Qualification Framework.
The best programmes are certified, have an up-to-date curriculum and graded assessments and portfolios as they allow you to demonstrate to employers that you have the required skills.
The best Professional Diploma Providers partner with Professional Bodies providing recognition of your qualification through the use of designatory letters. For example graduates of the Learnful Professional Diploma in Computerised Accounts & Payroll are entitled to apply for associate membership of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers. Associate members are entitled to use the designatory letters AICB after their name.
The use of designatory letters after your name on business cards, email signatures and the like, is a powerful indicator to your customers that you have the required skills.
The best education providers partner with reputable professional digital credential platforms to among other things allow their graduates and potential employers to verify their certificates. For example, Learnful has partnered with Accredible, the world’s most comprehensive digital badge and certificate platform. Digital credentials can take many different forms, from badges to certificates to courses. As an employee, they help you stand out from the crowd and prove that you have the skills and qualifications needed for the job. In fact, according to LinkedIn’s 2018 report on The future of work, 73% of hiring managers say they would be more likely to consider a candidate if they had digital credentials in addition to their resume. Digital credentials can also give employers peace of mind that they’re hiring someone who is qualified and has the ability to do the job.
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