Business

Accounting and Payroll Specialist

Get the skills and knowledge for this always-in-demand career for only 45 weeks with this accounting and payroll program. Take advantage of an 8-week internship to obtain the real-world, hands-on experience that employers look for.

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    Type

    Diploma

    Duration

    45 Weeks

    Internship

    8 Weeks

    Program Outline

    View Outline Arrow Icon Pointing Right

    About Our Accounting and Payroll Program

    This intensive Accounting & Payroll program focuses on financial accounting, payroll, the implementation and operation of computerized accounting systems, and business application software. Upon graduation, you can secure an associate membership with the National Payroll Institute (NPI) and be eligible to pursue the Payroll Compliance Professional (PCP) certification from the Institute.

    Career Opportunities

    Upon completing our accounting and payroll courses, you will qualify for positions such as:

    • Payroll Specialist
    • Accounts Payable Clerk
    • Accounts Receivable Clerk
    • Accounting Assistant

     

     

    Employers Who Have Hired Our Accounting and Payroll Program Grads

    • BKC Accounting & Tax Preparation
    • First Ontario Credit Union
    • CIBC
    • Trillium Bookkeeping Services
    • Royal Bank of Canada
    • ACI Tax Services
    • London Tax & Accounting

    Salary

    82 %

    Employment Rate*

    $ 29

    Average Wage/HR**

    $ 39

    High Wage/HR**

    *Employment Rate based on 2022 contactable triOS graduates employed in a related field within 12 months.

    Source: workingincanada.gc.ca

    NOC Code: 1432/13102- **Wage data rounded down to the nearest dollar. Average wage doesn't reflect the starting salary but represents the middle value between lowest to highest wages. Local (or regional) income may vary. Last updated in Jan 2024.

    Available Learning Options

    At triOS College, you can choose the learning option that meets your needs. This program is currently available in:

    In-Class

    Instructor-led classes held in-person at one or more of our 9 campuses.

    Accounting and Payroll Specialist

    Duration: 45 Weeks

    Internship: 8 Weeks

    Program Outline

    Remote

    Instructor-led classes on a set schedule, held remotely live on video over the Internet.

    Accounting and Payroll Specialist

    Duration: 45 Weeks

    Internship: 8 Weeks

    Program Outline

    Online

    Flexible schedule with a set weekly pace and the support of facilitators when you need it; delivered over the Internet.

    Accounting and Payroll (Online)

    Duration: 33 Weeks

    Internship: Unavailable

    Program Outline

    Program Details

    If you’re looking to pursue an administrative role in a professional business environment, then start on the path to a career in accounting and payroll which places you in demand in both small and large companies. 

    As an Accounting & Payroll Specialist, you will be responsible for using administrative software to ensure that employees, in any given company, are working their designated hours, their cheques are being cut correctly, and that they’re being paid in a timely manner.

    Through our payroll courses, you’ll learn to apply payroll legislation, calculate pay and use administrative software to ensure that employees are working their designated hours, and that cheques are being cut accurately. With our accounting courses, you will learn accounting concepts and procedures such as cash flow, assets and liabilities, financial management, banking procedures, analyzing business transactions, and how to properly set up and engage with different ledgers form part of this through program. You’ll also get hands-on training on how to set up banking and tax service modules in Sage 300.

    Students enrolled in this accounting and payroll program program receive:

    • 8-week internship to gain hands-on experience.
    • Training on the latest software applications required by employers, including Sage 300.
    • Career service assistance.
    • Free software subscriptions for Microsoft Office and Windows.

    Graduates of this accounting and payroll program will be able to pursue the National Payroll Institute’s Payroll Compliance Professional (PCP) designation. This will help graduates gain an in-depth understanding of the legislative requirements to keep their organization compliant throughout the annual payroll cycle. When designated, graduates can join a growing community of supportive professionals and gain access to the resources needed to stay current and compliant.

    PCP designation requires three core payroll courses, an Introduction to Accounting course transfer credit, and one year of weighted payroll work experience:

    1. Payroll Compliance Legislation
    2. Payroll Fundamentals 1 – Prerequisite: Payroll Compliance Legislation
    3. Payroll Fundamentals 2 – Prerequisites: Payroll Compliance Legislation and Payroll Fundamentals 1
    4. Introduction to Accounting – must be completed at a post-secondary institution
    5. PCP Work Experience Requirement Application (WERA) – a minimum of one year weighted payroll work experience

    All PCP courses, including the Introduction to Accounting transfer credit course, require a passing grade of 65%.

    For more information, visit www.payroll.ca.

    Course Listings
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    Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Sage 300
    In this course, students will learn to set up banking and taxes service modules in Sage300 2017. They will also learn to set of vendor and customer records and process transactions in the amounts payable and accounts receivable modules of Sage300 2017.
    Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Introduction to Accounting (using Sage 50)
    In this course students will be introduced to accounting concepts and procedures. Students will learn about debits and credits and how to analyze and record business transactions. In addition, students will look at banking procedures, cash control as well as payroll concepts and procedures, including employee taxes. They will also gain an understanding of the employer’s tax responsibilities. In this course, students learn how to set up and interact with the different ledgers in Sage 50 to support small business activities. In addition, students will perform General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Payroll transactions.
    Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Intermediate Accounting (using QuickBooks)
    This course completes the accounting cycle and furthers the student’s knowledge of accounting procedures in payroll, pay cash and bank reconciliations. Central to this course is the merchandising firm and its accounting cycle, central to this is appropriate valuation of inventory and cost of goods sold calculations. This material will be presented manually are working on paper and using computerized accounting system of QuickBooks.
    Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Advanced Accounting
    In this course, students will build on principles learned in the intermediate accounting courses. Students will be introduced to more advanced concepts regarding assets and liabilities including accounting for bad debt, depreciation and long-term assets, cash flow analysis, and temporary and long-term investments. In addition, students will learn how to record the effects of partnership and corporate activity and analyze financial statements for decision-making.
    Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. APS internship
    Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Business Communication
    This course is designed to give students a basic understanding of communication skills in the business environments. Focus will be placed on both written and spoken communications. Students will review the basic writing process with emphasis on the mechanics of writing. They will also learn the importance of effective spoken communication, deliver an oral presentation, and participate in a mock meeting.
    Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Microsoft Outlook
    This Microsoft Outlook course is created for students to build and validate the skills businesses need to succeed in today's information economy. It also provides students with the skills and knowledge they need to use to effectively manage e-mails, contacts, calendars, and tasks. Outlook has become the corporate standard electronic personal organizer. These are the foundational skills needed to communicate using Outlook in a variety of positions within and organization. This course is computer intensive and demands basic computer proficiency and a basic understanding of e-mail software. Students are expected to make arrangements to meet proficiency needs.
    Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Microsoft PowerPoint
    This course is designed for students who are interested in learning the fundamentals needed to create and modify basic presentations by using Microsoft PowerPoint. Students will explore the PowerPoint environment and create a presentation, will format text on slides to enhance clarity, enhance the visual appeal, add graphical objects to a presentation and modify them, and finalize a presentation to deliver it.
    Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Career Management
    Our Career Management program introduces students to the strategies and components of an effective job search, including self-marketing and awareness, skills inventory, job search tools and the job market. The Career Management course is delivered by our on-campus Career Services Team who are there throughout the job search to assist and mentor students towards achieving their ultimate goal of employment in their field of study. Our Team of Career Services Professionals maintain relationships in their communities with key employers and organizations that recognize the value triOS graduates have to offer. The skills learned throughout Career Management at triOS will continue to serve students in their job search as they navigate their new careers.
    Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Microsoft Excel
    This Microsoft Office Excel course is created for students to build and validate the skills needed to succeed in today's economy. It also provides students with the skills and knowledge they need to use Microsoft Office Excel effectively in all aspects of their personal and professional lives. Excel is the world's most popular spreadsheet software. Whether you are managing a household or running a small business, Excel will help you develop useful techniques to help business processes. This course is computer intensive and demands basic computer proficiency and a basic understanding of spreadsheet software. Students are expected to make arrangements to meet proficiency needs as necessary.
    Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Introduction to Finance
    Financial management has evolved into a focus on managing financial assets more efficiently. Students will learn about the objectives of financial management as well as planning and budgeting. Sources and forms of financing will also be discussed.
    Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Payroll Fundamentals 1
    Students will learn about calculating employment income and the process for hiring and terminating employees from a payroll perspective.
    Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Payroll Fundamentals 2
    Students will learn amount government remittances and proper recording of payroll information.
    Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Payroll Compliance Legislation
    Students will learn about the objectives of the payroll process, who the stakeholders in the process are, and about the various pieces of federal and provincial/territorial legislation that affect the payroll process.
    Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Microsoft Word
    This Microsoft Word course is created for students to build and validate the skills businesses need to succeed in today's information economy. It also provides students with the skills and knowledge they need to use Microsoft Word effectively in all aspects of their personal and professional lives. Word is the world's most popular word processing software. Learning how to create, edit, format and print documents, enhance work with formatting, use bullets and numbering, add simple borders, tables, headers/footers, organizing data columns, and styles, are the foundational skills needed in preform in many positions. This course is computer intensive and demands basic computer proficiency and a basic understanding of word processing software. The course combines lecture/demonstration by an instructor with readings, trainings, projects, and a final exam for students to work on in a simulation-based environment. Students are expected to ensure they meet proficiency requirements for working in this environment.
    Admission Requirements
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    – High school graduation diploma, or Mature Student Status (for more information please refer to the Program Outline at the top of this page or speak to your Education Consultant)
    – In addition to above requirements, all student must pass an entrance assessment.

    Career Quiz

    Take a quick and easy quiz to find out more about yourself, your goals, and identify your strengths and social style. This quiz gives you suggestions for what career areas you might consider based on your likes and preferences. Give it a try now!

    Testimonial

    Thank you, triOS College, for giving me the education and tools I needed to get my dream career. I had a full-time job five days out of school, and it feels amazing to be one of the lucky ones to have my dream job.

    Rachael R.

    Grad, 2013

    Successful graduates will have all the education credits necessary to pursue the Payroll Compliance Professional (PCP) certification through the National Payroll Institute, which is an in-demand credential for payroll careers.

    Amy Pytlowany

    Accounting and Payroll Faculty Head, triOS College

    How Our Accounting and Payroll Program Can Help You

    Discover what triOS College's Accounting and Payroll Program Coordinator David Fox has to say about the program and what else you can expect when you take our accounting courses and payroll courses.

    Frequently Asked Questions about Accounting and Payroll

     

    How to Become an Accountant

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    To become an accountant in Ontario, enroll in an accounting program or a related field, ensuring it's from an accredited institution. Next, work towards the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation, which involves taking preparatory courses, gaining relevant work experience, passing the Common Final Exam (CFE), and fulfilling ethics and practical experience requirements.
    Once you've completed the CPA program, register with CPA Ontario and engage in ongoing professional development. With your CPA designation, you can seek employment in various sectors or even establish your own accounting practice. Requirements may evolve, so consult with CPA Ontario for the latest details.

    How much do payroll accountants make?

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    The salary of a payroll accountant in Ontario can vary depending on several factors including experience, education, location, and the specific employer. According to Job Bank, the average hourly rate is $27, which can go up to $38.