Open University Upskills Students for Future Finance Careers with Zoho – Intelligent CIO Europe

Students will be able to gain practical accounting experience in the new academic year with Zoho Books, a cloud-based accounting software.

The Open University helps upskill students who want to become finance professionals by providing them with Zoho accounting software, the industry standard used by businesses around the world to manage their finances.

In partnership with Zoho, a global technology company, the Open University will provide students with access to Zoho Books, a VAT-compliant, cloud-based accounting software recognised by HMRC, as part of their accounting and finance studies at the university. This partnership ensures that students, whether returning to education to improve their skills or changing careers, will gain practical experience with tools that will help them prepare for their future careers.

The aim of this partnership is to prepare future finance professionals for the challenges of today’s financial landscape and to offer them practical experience that will increase their competitiveness in the job market.

Kevin Amor, lecturer in accounting and financial management at the Open University and responsible for the qualification, said: “We want to equip our students with the best skills and knowledge to navigate the increasingly complex world of accounting and finance.

“We are committed to helping students become highly competitive in the market after graduation. The partnership with Zoho helps our students apply their knowledge and discover what it’s like to use best-in-class accounting software as they would in their future career. This will add immense value to their employability.”

Prashant Ganti, Director of Product Management, Zoho Finance and Operations Suite, said, “One of Zoho’s goals is to help future finance professionals gain the practical knowledge they need to succeed in finance and accounting careers.

“The partnership with UK educational institutions is a significant step towards achieving this goal. With Zoho Books, a cutting-edge accounting software, students will not only be able to practice and prepare to handle the day-to-day operations of their clients, but also the operations of their own businesses, helping them to succeed in their professions.”

Students enrolled in the Intermediate Financial Accounting (B250) module of the BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance degree programme will have free access to Zoho Books and will be able to practice the core functions that finance professionals and accountants use on a daily basis, such as accounting for receivables and payables, bank reconciliation, project accounting, manual journaling, financial reporting and chart of accounts.

In addition, students can also practice tax and regulatory compliance, such as generating VAT returns and reports for VAT MOSS (Mini One Stop Shop), OSS (One Stop Shop) and CIS (Construction Industry Scheme). They will also be able to download the Zoho Books app on iOS, Android and Windows devices to practice accounting on the go.

Zoho Books is an HMRC-approved, comprehensive, cloud-based accounting software that helps businesses manage their finances, perform basic accounting functions, track product stock levels, automate bank reconciliations, generate Bankers Automated Clearing System (BACS) files for bulk payments to suppliers, manage projects and maintain VAT compliance.

Businesses can also file VAT directly with HMRC. They can also connect to popular payment gateways such as Square, Stripe and Gocardless to receive online payments from customers and get paid faster, thus increasing cash flow. The software also includes other advanced features such as built-in order management, budgeting, workflow automation, customizations and advanced business analytics. It is compatible in 17 countries worldwide.

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