PayTrain College and University Program for Payroll Professionals

American Payroll Association Presents PayTrain

As a payroll professional, you know how important it is to maintain your company’s compliance by keeping up with changing regulations and procedures. Staying current is not only important to your company’s bottom line but also to your continued professional development.

In cooperation with the American Payroll Association, CSU Channel Islands presents the PayTrain College & University program for payroll professionals. Comprised of two professional development courses, PayTrain Fundamentals and PayTrain Mastery, this program is ideal for seasoned professionals interested in advancing their careers or sitting for a certification exam, as well as for new hires seeking an understanding of the industry.

Whether you are interested in preparing for the Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) or Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification exams, or are new to the industry and need to learn the basics of payroll, our courses will help you meet your goals.

Program Description 

What Is PayTrain College & University?

PayTrain College & University is the American Payroll Association’s payroll professional development and certification exam preparation program offered in a college/university setting. Serving the entire payroll community, this program is ideal for seasoned professionals interested in advancing their careers or sitting for a certification exam, as well as for new hires seeking an understanding of the industry. Enrollees in the program receive live classroom instruction, textbooks, and access to interactive online games and applications to reinforce topics learned.

Who Should Attend?

• Experienced and entry-level payroll professionals.
• Managers/supervisors providing strategic payroll management.
• Payroll professionals who interface with human resources, benefits, tax reporting, and other functions.
• Sales professionals/consultants serving the payroll industry.
• Systems analysts/engineers writing payroll programs.
• Payroll service bureau client representatives.

Program Benefits:

• A foundation of knowledge for entering the payroll field.
• Formal training in payroll administration.
• An understanding of payroll essentials through hands-on exercises.
• Improved job performance by increasing accuracy and compliance.
• The guidance and expertise of an experienced facilitator.
• Access to a network of peers to learn about payroll practices at other organizations.
• Solid grounding in compliance issues related to tax and regulatory information.
• Preparation for the Fundamentals Payroll Certification (FPC) and Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) Certification Exams.
• Recertification credit hours to maintain FPC or CPP credentials.

Course Description

PayTrain Fundamentals (30 contact hours)

PayTrain Fundamentals teaches the fundamental payroll calculations and applications necessary for individuals who are new to the payroll industry, those who support the payroll industry, and those who are preparing for the FPC certification examination. This course is also course 1 of a 2 course sequence to prepare for the CPP certification exam. This course will provide you with the basic knowledge and skills required to maintain payroll compliance and prevent costly penalties. These calculations are critical to successfully passing the FPC and CPP exams and are not covered in PayTrain Mastery.

Topics covered in PayTrain Fundamentals include:

• Payroll fundamentals
• Fundamentals of payroll operations
• Paycheck fundamentals
• Payroll benefits basics
• Tax reporting
• Payroll accounting
• Professional administration
• PayTrain Mastery (36 contact hours)

A continuation of PayTrain Fundamentals, PayTrain Mastery is a comprehensive course providing students with a solid understanding of advanced payroll topics necessary for payroll managers and supervisors. This course is ideal for experienced payroll professionals seeking compliance training, professional development, or CPP certification preparation. For success on the CPP exam, this course should be taken after completing PayTrain Fundamentals.

Topics include:

• Payroll concepts
• Payroll calculations
• Fringe benefits
• Payroll reporting and employment taxes
• Record keeping and payroll practices
• Payroll accounting
• Management and administration

Certification Information

The APA testing windows for both the FPC and CPP exam is Sept. 15 - Oct. 13, 2007 and March 29 - April 26, 2008.

PayTrain College & University Program Schedule

Fall 2007 Classes for PayTrain