247 Courses in London

Overview This course in Public Sector Accounting and Budgeting training seminar is designed to provide a comprehensive briefing on the fundamental principles and key functions in the continuously developing sphere of public sector finance. Non-financial public sector employees and managers are regularly required to both provide input to the budget process and respond to information presented in departmental financial reports.

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Overview In today's competitive business world firms are under unprecedented pressure to deliver value to their shareholders and other key stakeholders. Senior executives in all parts of the organisation are finding that they need some degree of financial know-how to cope with the responsibility placed on them as business managers and key decision-makers; monitoring and improving business performance, investing in capital projects, mergers and acquisitions and budgets. All require some degree of financial knowledge. 

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What do engineers and project managers need to know of finance? 'Nothing - leave it to the accountants!' No, no, no! Engineers must be conversant with the terminology and statements that accountants use. Technical expertise in projects, service delivery, production or other areas can only really be harnessed if the managers understand the accounting and reporting that drives businesses. This course gives the necessary understanding to project, production and technical managers. It develops their skills in understanding financial and management accounting. Accountants may not always like it but a major part of their work is to be the 'servants of business' and to gather, compile and present your figures. So you must understand the figures - they belong to you, your processes or projects. There are many reasons for maintaining accurate accounts. This course focuses on the strategic issues (those over-used words) - what figures reveal about the drivers of business and what they reveal about the day-to-day issues that accountants bother you with. The course will enhance your understanding of finance and of the accounting issues which affect your projects, production and technical areas of business. This course will help you: Understand the business world in figures - make sense of what the accountants are telling you Appreciate what drives business - and how this affects your role in your part of the business Relate your activities to the success of the business - through figures Gain the skills to advance in management - financial awareness is a 'must have' if you are to progress in your career 1 What do accountants do? The finance function, types of accountant, financial v management accounting and the treasury function Understanding the role of the finance function and how the information you provide may be used 2 The basic financial statements Balance sheets and income statements (P&L accounts) What they are, what they contain and above all what they can reveal - how to read them The accounting process - from transactions to financial statements What underpins the statements - accounting systems and internal controls 3 Why be in business - from a financial perspective The driving forces behind financial information Performance measures - profitability, asset utilisation, sales and throughput, managing capital expenditure 4 Accounting rules - accounting standards Accounting concepts and the accounting rules: accruals, 'going concern' - substance over form and other 'desirable qualities' Accruals - why the timing of a transaction is so important to the finance function Depreciation and amortisation - the concepts and practice Accounting standards - the role of International Financial Reporting Standards 5 Cash The importance of cash flow - working capital management Cash flow statements - monitoring overall cash flows Raising cash - levels of borrowing, gearing Spending cash - an outline of capital expenditure appraisal 6 Budgeting Why budget? - good and bad practice Determining why budgets play a key role and should not be simply an annual ritual Justifying your budgets - the link between the strategic plan and day-to-day budgeting - alignment of company culture Budgets as motivators - the importance of the right culture Techniques to improve budgeting - whether day-to-day or capital budgeting 7 Costing The type and detail of costing very much depends on your business - eg, manufacturing piston rings is quite different from the construction of a power plant Issues with overhead allocation Accounting for R&D 8 Reading financial statements Annual financial statements - why they are produced, what's in them and what you should look for Learning what a set of accounts reveals about a company's current situation, profitability and future prospects 9 Performance measurement - analytical reviews and ratio analysis ROI/ROCE Profitability, margins and cost control Sales - asset turnover Efficiency (asset / stock turnover, debtor / creditor days) 'City' measures Investment (interest / dividend cover, earnings per share, dividend yield)

Gain the skills and essential knowledge needed for completing the manual bookkeeping activities that underpin all accountancy and finance roles. Course Overview Students studying this qualification will develop practical accountancy skills in the double-entry bookkeeping system and in using associated documents and processes. They will cover transactions for accuracy, make entries in appropriate books and ledgers and calculate sales invoices and credit notes. Gain the skills and essential knowledge needed for completing the manual bookkeeping activities that underpin all accountancy and finance roles. The jobs it can lead to: • Trainee bookkeeper • Finance assistant • Accounts administrator • Clerical assistant Entry Requirements: Students can start with any qualification depending on existing skills and experience. For the best chance of success, we recommend that students begin their studies with a good standard of English and maths. Course Content: Introduction to Bookkeeping: This unit provides students with an understanding of manual and digital bookkeeping systems, including the associated documents and processes. Students will learn the basic principles that underpin the double-entry bookkeeping systems. Learning outcomes: • Understand how to set up bookkeeping systems. • Process customer transactions. • Process supplier transactions. • Process receipts and payments. • Process transactions into the ledger accounts. Principles of Bookkeeping Controls: This unit builds on the knowledge and skills acquired from studying Introduction to Bookkeeping and explores control accounts, journals and reconciliations. Students will develop the ability to prepare the value added tax (VAT) control accounts as well as the receivables and payables ledger accounts. They will use the journal to record a variety of transactions, including the correction errors. Students will be able to redraft the initial trial balance, following adjustments. Learning outcomes: • Use control accounts. • Reconcile a bank statement with the cash book. • Use the journal. • Produce trial balances. DURATION 3 Months WHATS INCLUDED Course Material Case Study Experienced Lecturer Refreshments Certificate

Students will learn and develop skills needed for a range of financial processes, including maintaining cost accounting records, advanced bookkeeping and the preparation of financial reports and returns.  Course Overview This qualification covers a range of essential and higher-level accounting techniques and disciplines. Students will learn and develop skills needed for a range of financial processes, including maintaining cost accounting records, advanced bookkeeping and the preparation of financial reports and returns. Study the Level 3 Diploma to learn higher accounting techniques and disciplines and qualify for AAT bookkeeping membership (AATQB). The jobs it can lead to: • Accounts assistant • Accounts payable clerk • Audit trainee • Credit controller • Payroll administrator/supervisor • Practice bookkeeper • Finance assistant • Tax assistant • Accounts payable and expenses supervisor Entry requirements: Students can start with any qualification depending on existing skills and experience. For the best chance of success we recommend that students begin their studies with a good standard of English and maths. Course Content: Business Awareness: This unit provides students with an understanding of the business, its environment and the influences that this has on an organisation’s structure, the role of its accounting function and its performance. Students will examine the purpose and types for businesses that exist and the rights and responsibilities of the key stakeholders, as well as gain an understanding of the importance of professional ethics and ethical management within the finance function. Learning outcomes: • Understand business types, structure and governance and the legal framework in which they operate. • Understand the impact of the external and internal environments on business, their performance and decisions. • Understand how businesses and accounts comply with principles of professional ethics. • Understand the impact of new technologies in accounting and the risks associated with data security. • Communicate information to stakeholders. Financial Accounting: Preparing Financial Statements: This unit provides students with the skills required to produce statements of profit or loss and statements for financial position for sole traders and partnerships, using a trial balance. Students will gain the double-entry bookkeeping skills needed to record financial transactions into an organisation’s accounts using a manual bookkeeping system. Learning outcomes: • Understand the accounting principles underlaying final accounts preparation. • Understand the principles of advanced double-entry bookkeeping. • Implement procedures for the acquisition and disposal of non-current assets. • Prepare and record depreciation calculations. • Record period end adjustments. • Produce and extend the trial balance. • Produce financial statements for sole traders and partnerships. • Interpret financial statements using profitability ratios. • Prepare accounting records from incomplete information. Management Accounting Techniques: This unit provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to understand the role of management accounting in an organisation, and how organisations use such information to aid decision making. Students will learn the principles that underpin management accounting methodology and techniques, how costs are handled in organisations and why organisations treat costs in different ways. Learning outcomes: • Understand the purpose and use of management accounting within organisations. • Use techniques required for dealing with costs. • Attribute costs according to organisational requirements. • Investigate deviations from budgets. • Use spreadsheet techniques to provide management accounting information. • Use management accounting techniques to support short-term decision making. • Understand principles of cash management. Tax Processes for Businesses: This unit explores tax processes that influence the daily operations of businesses and is designed to develop students’ skills in understanding, preparing and submitting Value Added Tax (VAT) returns to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The unit provides students with the knowledge and skills that are needed to keep businesses, employers and clients compliant with laws and practices that apply to VAT and payroll. Learning outcomes: • Understand legislation requirements relating to VAT. • Calculate VAT. • Review and verify VAT returns. • Understand principles of payroll. • Report information within the organisation. DURATION 250-300 Hours WHATS INCLUDED Course Material Case Study Experienced Lecturer Refreshments Certificate

The CAIA Association is a global professional body dedicated to creating greater alignment, transparency, and knowledge for all investors, with a specific emphasis on alternative investments. Course Overview The CAIA Association is a global professional body dedicated to creating greater alignment, transparency, and knowledge for all investors, with a specific emphasis on alternative investments. A Member-driven organization representing professionals in more than 100 countries, CAIA Association advocates for the highest ethical standards. Whether you need a deep, practical understanding of the world of alternative investments, a solid introduction, or data science skills for the future in finance, the CAIA Association offers a program for you. Why CAIA? Distinguish yourself with knowledge, expertise, and a clear career advantage – become a CAIA Charterholder. CAIA® is the globally recognized credential for professionals allocating, managing, analyzing, distributing, or regulating alternative investments. The Level II curriculum takes a top-down approach and provides Candidates with the skills and tools to conduct due diligence, monitor investments, and appropriately construct an investment portfolio. In addition, the Level II curriculum contains Emerging Topic readings; articles written by academics and practitioners designed to further inform and provoke the Candidate’s investment management process. After passing the Level II exam you are eligible, with relevant professional experience, to join the CAIA Association as a Member and receive the CAIA Charter. You will be part of an elite group of more than 13,000 professionals worldwide. Only after joining the Association, you are eligible to add the CAIA designation to your professional profiles. Who will benefit from enrolling in the CAIA program? Professionals who want to develop a deep level of knowledge and demonstrated expertise in alternative investments and their contribution to the diversified portfolio should pursue the CAIA Charter including: • Asset Allocators • Risk managers • Analysts • Portfolio managers • Traders • Consultants • Business development/marketing • Operations • Advisors Curriculum Topics: Topic 1: Emerging Topics • Decentralized Finance: On Blockchain- and Smart Contract-Based Financial Markets • Technical Guide for Limited Partners: Responsible Investing in Private Equity • Channels for Exposure to Bitcoin • Assessing Long-Term Investor Performance: Principles, Policies and Metrics • Demystifying Illiquid Assets: Expected Returns for Private Equity • An Introduction to Portfolio Rebalancing Strategies • Longevity and Liabilities: Bridging the Gap • A Short Introduction to the World of Cryptocurrencies Topic 2: Ethics, Regulation and ESG • Asset Manager Code • Recommendations and Guidance • Global Regulation • ESG and Alternative Investments • ESG Analysis and Application Topic 3: Models • Modeling Overview and Interest Rate Models • Credit Risk Models • Multi-Factor Equity Pricing Models • Asset Allocation Processes and the Mean-Variance Model • Other Asset Allocation Approaches Topic 4: Institutional Asset Owners and Investment Policies • Types of Asset Owners and the Investment Policy Statement • Foundations and the Endowment Model • Pension Fund Portfolio Management • Sovereign Wealth Funds • Family Offices and the family office Model Topic 5: Risk and Risk Management • Cases in Tail Risk • Benchmarking and Performance Attribution • Liquidity and Funding Risks • Hedging, Rebalancing, and Monitoring • Risk Measurement, Risk Management, and Risk Systems Topic 6: Methods for Alternative Investing • Valuation and Hedging Using Binomial Trees • Directional Strategies and Methods • Multivariate Empirical Methods and Performance Persistence • Relative Value Methods • Valuation Methods for Private Assets: The Case of Real Estate Topic 7: Accessing Alternative Investments • Hedge Fund Replication • Diversified Access to Hedge Funds • Access to Real Estate and Commodities • Access through Private Structures • The Risk and Performance of Private and Listed Assets Topic 8: Due Diligence and Selecting Managers • Active Management and New Investments • Selection of a Fund Manager • Investment Process Due Diligence • Operational Due Diligence • Due Diligence of Terms and Business Activities Topic 9: Volatility and Complex Strategies • Volatility as a Factor Exposure • Volatility, Correlation, and Dispersion Products and Strategies • Complexity and Structured Products • Insurance-Linked and Hybrid Securities • Complexity and the Case of Cross-Border Real Estate Investing DURATION 200 Hours WHATS INCLUDED Course Material Case Study Experienced Lecturer Refreshments Certificate

Overview This is particularly important for PPP projects where long-term commitments are made now based on bankability, value for money and risk allocation. During the course, participants will gain knowledge and skills on the frameworks, tools, and methodologies necessary to build quantitative models for financial decision-making in order to improve the financial viability and bankability of PPP projects. Participants will master modelling frameworks on capital budgeting, risk measurement, regression analysis and Monte Carlo Simulation among others.

No-one in business will succeed if they are not financially literate - and no business will succeed without financially-literate people. This is the ideal programme for managers and others who don't have a financial qualification or background but who nonetheless need a greater understanding of the financial management disciplines essential to your organisation. This course will give the participants a sound understanding of financial reports, measures and techniques to make them even more effective in their roles. It will enable participants to: Overcome the barrier of the accountants' strange language Deal confidently with financial colleagues Improve their understanding of your organisation's finance function Radically improve their planning and budgeting skills Be much more aware of the impact of their decisions on the profitability of your organisation Enhance their role in the organisation Boost their confidence and career development 1 Review of the principal financial statements What each statement containsOutlineDetail Not just what the statements contain but what they mean Balance sheets and P&L accounts (income statements) Cash flow statements Detailed terminology and interpretation Types of fixed asset - tangible, etc. Working capital, equity, gearing 2 The 'rules' - Accounting Standards, concepts and conventions Fundamental or 'bedrock' accounting concepts Detailed accounting concepts and conventions What depreciation means The importance of stock, inventory and work in progress values Accounting policies that most affect reporting and results The importance of accounting standards and IFRS 3 Where the figures come from Accounting records Assets / liabilities, Income / expenditure General / nominal ledgers Need for internal controls 'Sarbox' and related issues 4 Managing the budget process Have clear objectives, remit, responsibilities and time schedule The business plan Links with corporate strategy The budget cycle Links with company culture Budgeting methods'New' budgetingZero-based budgets Reviewing budgets Responding to the figures The need for appropriate accounting and reporting systems 5 What are costs? How to account for them Cost definitions Full / absorption costing Overheads - overhead allocation or absorption Activity based costing Marginal costing / break-even - use in planning 6 Who does what? A review of what different types of accountant do Financial accounting Management accounting Treasury function Activities and terms 7 How the statements can be interpreted What published accounts contain Analytical review (ratio analysis) Return on capital employed, margins and profitability Making assets work - asset turnover Fixed assets, debtor, stock turnover Responding to figures EBIT, EBITEDIA, eps and other analysts' measure 8 Other key issues Creative accounting Accounting for groups Intangible assets - brand names Company valuations Fixed assets / leased assets / off-balance sheet finance