Ayrshire College

accounts

Accountants are in demand in just about every business sector all over the world and financial services employment is growing at a rapid rate. The importance of accurate accounting cannot be underestimated, as profit/loss results and financial performance affects everything from a company’s credit rating to its share price.

Our courses will teach you about payroll and income tax as well as showing you how to prepare final accounts and use financial accounting software. They will also give an insight into areas such as management accounting for decision making and auditing, ensuring you acquire the necessary transferable skills relevant to a career in the field of accountancy.

You’ll develop an understanding of accountancy practices, commerce, industry and finance. As well as developing a range of subject-specific and technical skills, you also gain more general skills including:  knowledge and awareness of business organisations, numerical and quantitative skills, problem-solving and analytical ability.

Accounting covers a wide range of careers and opportunities are widely available including with accountancy firms, investment banks, high street banks, insurance companies, building societies, management consultancies and public sector employers.  From our advanced courses you can progress on to Degree Level courses at university.

business

Business and IT skills are necessary in every industry, whether a multinational or a small local firm. They are at the heart of every organization and play a key role in our daily lives.

Have you ever wondered why some businesses such as Amazon, Ryanair or Tesco make millions of pounds of profits while others fail miserably?  Business courses are suitable for everyone who is interested in finding out how today’s businesses work. Our Business courses focus on relevant topics, practical experience and learning from industry to provide you with the right skills and knowledge for the ever-changing economic climate.

This will prepare you for supervisory/management roles or give you the confidence to progress to further study. Some students aspire to running their own business.

Business courses prepare you for a wide variety of exciting careers in either private organisations or in public sector employment such as NHS, Councils or Education. 

Many students progress to a business related degree.  Previous students have been successful in careers in Recruitment, Marketing, Human Resources, Sales, Customer Service and Business Administration. 

Read our blog for 10 reasons why you should study Business Administration

administration and IT

Administrative and IT courses provide an in-depth knowledge of practical office procedures, office management and technologies. Students will build on existing IT skills using a wide range of software packages and learn a variety of useful skills to help improve personal effectiveness and confidence.

Administration and ICT are at the heart of every business and play a key role in our daily lives. There are a number of career paths available and these courses prepare students for administrative, secretarial and supervisory management posts within the public and private sectors. Employment prospects are very good and range from large government organisations such as the NHS or local government to small specialist firms or large national organisations in the private sector.

computing

Employment in the IT industry is predicted to grow at nearly nine times the Scottish average.  All IT jobs involve some level of technical knowledge. This ranges from the deep technical skills of a software developer to project management roles, where communicating with and organising the people who have the technical expertise may be more important than actually having the technical skills themselves.  While technical skills are needed for many roles, employers also want team players, problem solvers and good communicators.

Combining staff expertise with state of the art computers, computing labs and a range of industry certified courses, the ICT and Digital Technologies department has the winning formula.  Specialising in either software or hardware, our courses combine practical skills with academic theory.  Students can expect to get involved with the Ayrshire community, completing design projects for local schools, businesses and the public sector, taking part in live projects.  The college’s industry links are invaluable when it comes to helping you become ‘work ready’.

Forecasts from e-Skills UK suggest that there could be as many as 11,000 job opportunities each year in ICT and digital technology roles. Students have the opportunity to gain vendor qualifications from companies such as Oracle, Microsoft and CISCO, providing them with a competitive edge. Career prospects include IT Technician, Software Developer, Project Manager, Systems Analyst, IT Consultant, Data Analyst and Systems Administrator.

games development

Games development is a fast-moving, multi-billion pound industry. The making of a game from concept to finished product can take up to three years and involve teams of up to 200 professionals.  There are many stages, including creating and designing a game's look and how it plays, animating characters and objects, creating audio, programming, localisation, testing and producing.

Our courses include subjects such as Games Technology, Level Design and Editing, Modelling and Animation and Web Design and Development and are taught in computer labs with modern hardware and industry standard software.   

You will be given the chance to make your own games and develop the skills and knowledge required to become a Games Developer.  The Aspire Games Studio gives students an outlet for their creativity and a chance to improve their ICT skills.

Games development covers a broad area of work and there are many specialisms within the industry including, games design, quality assurance tester, programmer, animator, 3D modeller and special effects technician.  This industry is devoted to developing the software, internet, computer gaming, IT services, telecommunications and business change expertise necessary to thrive in today’s global digital economy.