RICHMOND, BC--(Marketwire - Jul 25, 2011) - Sage North America announced a new Sage Simply Accounting User Certification program developed for accounting and bookkeeping students or those already in or looking to move into the accounting industry to demonstrate to potential employers that they have a good working knowledge of Canada's number one accounting software.(i)
"Recent research from Statistics Canada(ii) indicates that the job market is improving and according to the recent Sage Business Index(iii) and the Bank of Canada's Summer 2011 Business Outlook Survey(iv), many Canadian small businesses have reported they expect to hire staff to accommodate plans of growth or expansion," said Jennifer Warawa, senior director of partner programs at Sage. "Many Sage Accountants Network partners have expressed that one of the most difficult parts of the hiring process is determining which candidates meet certain criteria as anyone can say that they know how to use accounting software. However, the user certification highlights to an employer that a candidate actually has the knowledge and proven expertise in Sage Simply Accounting and can execute the required tasks."
The Sage Simply Accounting User Certification program is perfectly suited for students studying bookkeeping or accounting, but is available for anyone wanting to boost their resume while expanding their professional and market opportunities. Once certified, users can highlight to potential employers that they meet the certified standard and have a proven competency in navigating Sage Simply Accounting's general ledger, banking, tax, accounts payable and accounts receivable modules, which are often outlined as requirements in employment opportunity listings.
"With the market improving, job seekers will need their resumes to stand out more than ever before and for new grads, there's nothing more disappointing than being told that you don't have the right skill set or professional experience," said Sean Fleming, director of learning services at Sage. "Sage Simply Accounting User Certification provides someone entering the job market an edge because it demonstrates that they have the exposure and the readiness to tackle a job using the software."
Sage Simply Accounting provides those interested in achieving their user certification with free online training resources such as video tutorials, guides and practice exams. To become certified, a user must achieve at least 75 per cent on an exam; a certificate will be awarded to all applicants who achieve that standing. Sage Simply Accounting also has certified trainers who provide software training, curriculum and the necessary knowledge to successfully pass the user certification exam.
More information on the Sage Simply Accounting User Certification can be found at: http://www.simplyaccounting.com/lp/UserCertification
About Sage Simply Accounting
Celebrating 25 years, Sage Simply Accounting software is the #1 choice of Canadian small businesses and accountants(i), used by more than 500,000 Canadian businesses. Developed in Sage's global research and development centre in Richmond, B.C., the fully bilingual Sage Simply Accounting is known for its easy to learn, easy to use approach to accounting, while providing the most comprehensive features that small businesses require -- from start-up through to maturity. Sage Simply Accounting is supported by a highly trained team of customer service specialists in our Richmond, B.C., centre, and by more than 11,000 consultant partners located in communities across Canada who help thousands of companies daily to manage their business more effectively with Sage Simply Accounting.
About Sage Accountants Network
The Sage Accountants Network offers resources to increase technical competency and help grow an accountant's practice by providing informative communications and resources, product discounts, training, certification and membership benefits related to the Sage portfolio of products. Through the Sage Accountants' Network, accounting professionals also have access to Sage products that include accounting and business management software, support services and automatically delivered upgrades and updates, including payroll tax tables when applicable. In addition to software, members receive a complimentary listing in the Sage Accountants Network partner locator. Visit the Sage Accountants Network online at www.sageaccountantsnetwork.com, and follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SageAccountants.
About Sage North America
Sage North America is part of The Sage Group plc, a leading global supplier of business management software and related products and services, principally for small to medium-sized businesses. Sage North America employs 3,900 people and supports more than 3 million small and midsized business customers. Formed in 1981, Sage was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989. Sage has more than 6 million customers and 13,600 employees worldwide. We operate in over 24 countries covering the UK, Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia, India and China. For more information, please visit the website at www.sagenorthamerica.com. Follow Sage North America on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SageNorthAmerica, and Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/sagenamerica.
© 2011 Sage Software Canada, Ltd. All rights reserved. Sage, the Sage logos, and the Sage product and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sage Software, Inc. or its affiliated entities. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
(i) Based on independent surveys of 275 Canadian small businesses conducted February 2011 and 401 accountants who work with small business clients, conducted June 2011.
(ii) Statistics Canada, Latest release from the Labour Force Survey - http://www.statcan.gc.ca/subjects-sujets/labour-travail/lfs-epa/lfs-epa-eng.pdf
(iii) Sage Business Index - http://businessindex.sage.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/1289-Sage-insights-24_FINAL.pdf
(iv) Bank of Canada, Business Outlook Survey - http://www.bankofcanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/bos0711e.pdf
Contact Information:
Press Contact:
Yvonne Yuen
604-233-4127
yvonne.yuen@sage.com