Accounting clerk training: Experience report by course instructor Pascal Kopp - Working in the administration or accounting department of an SME to be able to do almost everything independently

Pascal Kopp

Please tell us about your career to date.

My name is Pascal Kopp. I am the course leader for the accounting clerk training program at BZWU Weiterbildung. I am also the course leader at the Edupool business school.

Who is the accounting clerk course particularly suitable for?

We basically have three target groups for our accounting clerk training:

• People who already work in accounting and would like to acquire basic knowledge for their daily work
• Newcomers and those returning to accounting and those looking to enter administration
• People who see this as intermediate training on the way to the specialist certificate in finance and accounting

What are the career opportunities with a degree in Accounting Clerk?

After graduating as an Accounting Clerk, there are basically two paths:

• A job in the administration or accounting department of an SME, to be able to carry out almost everything independently (handling bookings in day-to-day business, including social insurance and VAT accounting)
• Further development in the direction of fiduciary services in order to manage mandates independently

In addition, you can aim for the next higher step with the specialist certificate in finance and accounting.

What are the admission requirements for the financial clerk training program?

The admission requirements for the Accounting Clerk course are, in principle, financial accounting knowledge at KV E or B profile level. If you do not have this, we offer you the opportunity to acquire it with a preliminary course. We offer two courses: the introductory course and the advanced accounting course. These two courses build up the knowledge required to start the accounting clerk course.

What content is taught in the course?

The content of the Accounting Clerk course consists of four modules:

• Financial accounting: being able to handle day-to-day business in an SME with all postings
• Value added tax: complete recording and accounting of all VAT matters
• Social insurance: Daily allowance entitlements, short-time work compensation or maternity insurance
• Financial management / cost accounting: Cash flow statement, ratio analysis and cost accounting

How long does training to become an accounting clerk take and how much does it cost?

The accounting clerk training course starts twice a year, in spring and fall. The entire course lasts one and a half years and comprises around 244 lessons. The cost is CHF 4,950 (excluding teaching materials).

Is the Accounting Clerk course compulsory for the specialist certificate in accounting?

The Accounting Clerk course is not an official basic requirement for completing the Federal Certificate in Finance and Accounting. However, we recommend it as good preparation - even for those who have completed basic commercial training. This is because only people with appropriate professional experience are admitted to the professional examination and this can be gained during this part-time training.

How is the course completed?

The Accounting Clerk course concludes with a nationally recognized diploma from Edupool.ch - an association of over 50 vocational schools throughout Switzerland. This is a major advantage of the course. It is not simply a qualification from a single school, but is recognized nationally.

Why should you complete further training at the BZWU?

The accounting clerk course should be attended at the BZWU, as we only use proven experts from the field as lecturers. We attach great importance to the continuous updating of course content and a high level of exchange between theory and practice. In addition, we are very innovative at BZWU continuing education and offer new learning approaches.

Overview "Accounting Clerk / Accounting Clerk"