Careers

Posh Kids Only Need Apply

So how do the professional bodies react to the accusations that accountancy is an elitist profession?

In September 2009 we highlighted a report that found that if you come from the middle classes or from lower income families then you can forget about a successful career in accountancy!
The Fair Access Panel to the Professions found that like many professions the accountancy hierarchy was the preserve of those from independent schools and the wealthy. So it doesn’t matter how bright you are, the big accountancy firms are helping to perpetuate the class divide by employing a bunch of toffs for their best jobs. Sorry, but you need to go to public school and the elite universities to be an accountant, says Alan Milburn MP, chair of the panel. He stressed that without action the UK’s closed-shop mentality will continue for future generations. So your body stands charged with elistism. How do they defend their corner?

Clare Morley, AAT: “We do not believe that accountancy is the preserve of the rich. The AAT works hard to ensure that we have open access to our qualifications and membership from which there are clearly defined progression routes into the chartered bodies for those who wish to continue their studies. We contributed to the Fair Access Panel and in fact had a case study featured in their final report, which clearly demonstrates how the AAT provides an excellent progression route. It was perhaps a missed opportunity for the final report to have not made more of the full range of progression routes which exist throughout the accountancy profession.”

Clare Minchington, ACCA: “The Fair Access to the Professions report is based on research into social mobility and why poor social mobility stifles the largest pool of UK talent from succeeding. Some of the drivers to social mobility include personal aspiration and social/family background. The ACCA is not saying the report got it wrong. Although the accounting profession was reported as having a proportion of employees (40%) coming from higher than average family incomes, it did not say it was the preserve of the rich. And ACCA was drawn out as a model of good practice because it offers a number of flexible routes to accreditations. We are helping to buck the trend identified in this report. The ACCA works hard to ensure access to the accountancy profession is open, fair and transparent.”

Robert Jelly, CIMA: “We would argue that in CIMA’s case that this is not true. We offer ‘open access’ to the CIMA qualification and many of our members without degrees and from a broad spectrum of socio-economic groups have gone on to reach the top of their profession – CFOs and CEOs of leading companies. By its nature the conclusions of the access panel were ‘generic’. There is I believe an issue of fair access if you analyse the partners and heads of major accounting practice firms as an example and their educational and socio-economic background as there is in other leaders in other professions eg law firms. I believe that this is less the case in relation to the business world.”

Adrian Pulham, CIPFA: “Becoming a CIPFA accountant is by no means the preserve of the rich. CIPFA has a truly open access policy, which means that with the approval of their employers students are able to register for study even if they have no prior educational qualifications. A third of CIPFA’s students are non-graduates, most of these coming through via the vocational AAT route, which means they do not have to fund university education and are in paid employment from school. Most CIPFA students have all study fees paid by their employer. CIPFA students are also well paid during their traineeship so those who have to support themselves are not excluded. This is particularly important as CIPFA’s students have an older age profile than many new entrants to professions and are not able to rely on parental support.”

Mark Protherough, ICAEW: “It is often misunderstood, even by informed commentators, that you do not need to be a graduate (let alone a rich graduate) to train to become a chartered accountant. For many years ICAEW has offered and continues to offer a range of non-graduate entry routes, such as ‘A’ level and AAT. It should be noted that the Milburn report Unleashing Aspiration features as a case study an AAT student. Moreover, we recently widened access through the launch of the Certificate in Finance, Accounting & Business (CFAB). This qualification has no prior entry requirements and is therefore completely open access. Some 16% of the people now training as our chartered students are non-graduates and the percentage is growing. We are currently information gathering so that we can write an informed letter to Pat McFadden MP, Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills. We are treating this seriously and recognise the need to
make well-informed policy decision that are underpinned by robust facts and mindful of the institute’s broad range of activities.”

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