Accountants count on the future of online education

SCHOOLS and colleges are grappling with how education can resume in September, with ‘blended learning’ — a mix of online and in-person teaching — the current buzzword.

But some professionals with a bit of time on their hands have already embraced online learning. Chartered Accountants Ireland recently sought the views of thousands of members who have attended webinars during the restrictions since the lockdown began. Some 62pc of respondents had attended a live webinar in the past 10 weeks.

Only 6pc said they would feel comfortable returning to the classroom as soon as the reopening is complete and 60pc don’t want to return to a physical classroom until at least three months after the ending of restrictions. And 96pc expect to continue getting at least half of their continuing professional development remotely in the future.

■ Ergo has spotted a nice win for Barclays Private Bank as it continues to expand its operations in Dublin. It has appointed Alan Werlau as Head of Investments for Barclays Bank Ireland PLC.

Werlau is a specialist in financial analysis, investment strategy, and portfolio construction and has over 30 years’ experience advising a broad base of institutional investors, ultra-high-networth investors and family companies. He joins from Nogard Capital where he acted as CEO, having previously held the role of Head of Global Investment Strategy at J&E Davy in Dublin.