Are distance learning courses recognised by employers?

Distance learning courses are popular due to lifestyle changes brought on by the pandemic. Although student numbers are growing, some people still remain wary about their legitimacy.

Covid-19 has created a huge demand for upskilling and reskilling. Three in five UK workers intend to make changes to their careers as a result of the pandemic, research shows, with a surge in people intending to switch careers, learn a new skill or find a new role within their existing organisation.

As a result, the number of people signing up to distance learning courses is on the rise. They appreciate the flexibility to study from home at their own pace, and fit their studies around other commitments such as work and caring responsibilities.

But despite these obvious advantages, some people remain wary of distance learning. One reason may be uncertainty over whether distance learning courses are recognised by employers.

Like so many things in life, the key is to choose carefully. With a few straightforward checks, you can embark on a recognised qualification that could lead to a first job in a new sector or improve your current career prospects.

Read on for our tips on how to decide if a course is the real deal.

Is your course industry-accredited

Each industry has its own professional bodies. For accountancy, that includes AAT, ACCA and CIMA. Industry-led accreditation means the content of the course has been signed off by the relevant professional body. Think of this as their seal of approval. Accredited courses are available from a variety of providers, which bring us to step two…

Is your course provider approved by a professional body?

Before enrolling with any learning provider, check they are an approved learning partner of your course’s professional body. They will have been assessed against stringent best-practice benchmarks, giving you the assurance you’ll receive high-quality tuition and support.
Approved training providers also receive regular visits from the professional membership bodies themselves, to ensure the providers are up to date on industry developments and continue to keep standards high.
Eagle is an approved trainer for AAT, ACCA and CIMA, so you can be confident we have met this robust set of performance standards.

Check the ratings

Most of us read reviews online before we buy products – so apply the same logic to your learning! No one knows more about what it’s like to study with a particular distance learning provider than its students, and their insights will provide a good indicator of whether a provider should be trusted or not.
For example, 98% of reviewers on Reviews.io recommend Eagle – definitely a score to inspire confidence.
Statistics from exam pass rates also paint a reliable picture of the type of experience you can expect. To give you an idea, 97.3% of Eagle candidates passed AAT Level 2 in 2020 to 2021 – beating the national average of 84.9%. And 93.7% passed AAT Level 3 – considerably better than the national average of 74.9%.

Choose with confidence

If you want to be sure your time and money will be well spent, you could turn straight to Eagle. Our distance learning courses are recognised and we meet all the criteria listed above.
Our affordable subscriptions make it super easy to study accountancy. We even offer a 7-day free trial so you can get a feel for the course before you commit. There’s no catch. Just cost-effective recognised courses from a tried and trusted training provider.

Ready to start? See how our subscription works.