Pastel International strengthens education base in Africa

International software supplier, Pastel International, has opened its 31st Authorised Training Centre in Africa, in a drive to improve practical accounting skills in regions outside South Africa.

The focus is on driving home the need for smaller businesses to adopt practical accounting principles in their daily operations using Pastel International`s range of accounting and business management solutions.

"The training covers basic accounting and bookkeeping skills as well as product-specific courses on Pastel Xpress, Pastel Partner and Pastel Evolution," says Jeff Lewis, director of Pastel International.

Over the past three years, we have trained over 4 000 students, 450 resellers and 150 accountants through this programme, says Lewis. The company has set up 36 Pastel Authorised Training Centres worldwide. An increasing number of schools and universities in Africa are committing to run courses using Pastel software to train their students in accounting skills.

All Authorised Training Centres have to meet stringent requirements to attain accreditation using Pastel software as a basis for the training. To qualify, each Authorised Training Centre has to have at least one certified Pastel trainer associated exclusively with their site, who has an adequate accounting background or qualification and has obtained the highest possible Pastel product qualification, says Lewis.

"These are not merely courses in which attendees receive a certificate of attendance simply for turning up," says Lewis. Every attendee has to pass an exam at the end of the course, attaining a minimum of 80%. Keeping high standards such as this, ensures our users understand the financial principles they have to apply in their businesses, and how Pastel software can help them run their businesses more efficiently, says Lewis.

Pastel International, which operates across 50 countries, employs six dedicated training specialists who travel across Africa and worldwide, spending one to four weeks in each training location to ensure the courses are successfully delivered.

The two most recent Pastel Authorised Centres were launched in Mozambique and Namibia and others are spread across Australia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK. "By far the largest centre is in Zimbabwe, which trained over 325 students in 2005," says Lewis. The centre is also providing free training to non-profit organisations such as Childline and the National AIDS Council, based in Zimbabwe.

The Authorised Training Centres are improving the skills of customers, partners and accountants and ensure small and medium businesses know how to select the correct accounting solutions to meet their business needs, says Lewis. The Pastel range of accounting applications is ideal for owner-managed businesses because of its ease of use, reliability, stability and international brand recognition. "Now training has become a key factor in selecting business software," says Lewis.