What is the membership of AAT currently and take up of training?

BarbaraHarris

I just saw the latest CPD cost and know a number of members who think the costs are too high and are looking for alternatives or even to not register with AAT next year. Looking at the training cost (£200) and thinking of the numbers I normally see in Exeter (30-40) makes we wonder....

BarbaraHarris

And that I think says it all!

AAT_Team

You’re not the first person to comment on the price increase of our courses this year. Our Benefits and Services Delivery Manager, Paul James, has provided the following response for you. In addition, these events are aimed specifically at technician level accountants, where the majority of other events are aimed at all levels of accountants which may be too senior for many of our members.

"I fully understand how this year’s price increases for our CPD events will be unwelcome to many, and difficult to understand when viewed against a backdrop of low inflation in recent years. The reasons for the rises go beyond the increases in costs for speakers/venues etc (though that is certainly part of the calculation). Rather, they derive from a policy going back significantly further than the last price increase (2012) whereby we have been subsidising the cost of our CPD events to a greater and greater extent. This has resulted in a gradual erosion of the viability of many parts of our CPD programme, and required a correction.

I should stress that these events still remain subsidised to a very significant degree, and when compared to the cost of CPD provision from similar organisations, still represent tremendous value for money. These events are also part of a roster of member resources the great majority of which are completely free (or, more accurately, part of your overall membership package). These include hundreds of free CPD events across the country in our local branches, and free webinars on a variety of subjects (both types of events which incur a charge in many organisations).

I realise this is unlikely to make this round of price increases any more popular, but I can assure you that they are designed to safeguard and improve the member CPD programme."