Former NRC Magherafelt student celebrates first-class degree and lands accountancy training contract

Rebecca Scott completed the Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Business at Northern Regional College’s Magherafelt campus before progressing to Ulster University in Belfast.

A Magherafelt student has graduated with First-Class Honours in Accountancy and secured a training contract with professional services firm RSM UK, three years after completing a vocational Business qualification at Northern Regional College.

Rebecca Scott completed the Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Business at Northern Regional College’s Magherafelt campus in June 2023 before progressing to Ulster University in Belfast.

She has now graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Accountancy with First-Class Honours and will begin the next stage of her career with RSM UK.

From Magherafelt classroom to accountancy career

Rebecca’s training contract will allow her to gain professional experience while continuing her studies with Chartered Accountants Ireland, working towards qualification as a Chartered Accountant.

Reflecting on the route that brought her from Northern Regional College to university and now into the profession, Rebecca said:

“Studying Business at Northern Regional College gave me a strong foundation for progressing to university and helped me develop practical skills that I continued to use throughout my accountancy degree.

“The support and encouragement I received from my lecturers at the Magherafelt campus gave me confidence in my abilities and helped prepare me for the step up to university.

“I am incredibly proud to have achieved First-Class Honours and excited to begin my training contract with RSM UK while continuing my studies with Chartered Accountants Ireland to qualify as a Chartered Accountant.”

Her achievement also highlights one of the routes available to young people who choose vocational qualifications rather than the traditional A Level pathway.

‘A wonderful example for our current students’

Gráinne Quigley, Business lecturer at Northern Regional College, said Rebecca had shown commitment throughout her time at the college.

She said:

“Rebecca was a hardworking and dedicated student who always demonstrated a real commitment to her studies. We are incredibly proud to see her graduate from Ulster University with First-Class Honours and secure such an exciting opportunity with RSM UK.

“Her journey demonstrates where a vocational qualification can lead and is a wonderful example for our current students as well as future students considering studying Business at the College. Rebecca has a very promising career ahead of her, and everyone at Northern Regional College wishes her every success as she works towards becoming a Chartered Accountant.”

An alternative route to university

The Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Business studied by Rebecca is a practical, career-focused qualification equivalent to three A Levels.

The course covers the wider business sector and potential careers across areas including finance, human resources, IT, marketing, public relations and media.

Students develop practical and workplace-focused skills, while successful completion can provide a route into university, an apprenticeship or employment.

For Rebecca, that pathway has taken her from studying Business in Magherafelt to a First-Class Honours degree and now the beginning of her professional accountancy career.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Business or applying to Northern Regional College can visit:

www.nrc.ac.uk