A NEW profession in the financial sector was introduced to business - that of accounting technicians.

This profession is a product of a partnership between the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants and Association of Accounting Technicians South Africa.

Accounting technicians were known mostly in Europe.

On Friday Aatsa presented the profession and its engagement with government at a breakfast in Wanderers Club, Illovo.

Natalie Zimmelman, business development manager at Aatsa, said the profession would improve skills in both the private and public sector.

"Depending on the organisation's system, accounting technicians can do credit control, payroll preparations and also prepare financial statements," she said.

"Having an accounting technician enables you to release your accountant to do more strategic work in the business."

Through Aatsa anyone with matric or another qualification who wants to gain accounting skills can register for a course offered by Aatsa.

If the course is offered as a learnership it requires the student to do practical duties in a workplace.

If one chooses to do it as a course, then they can pursue it for two years full-time and three years part-time.

After getting the qualification one then becomes Aatsa's red member.

Aatsa has also partnered with Local Government Sector Education Training Authority to train 3000 local government workers for the entry level one certificate. About 600 of the workers have already finished training in Gauteng.