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PQ magazine for part qualified accountants.
Read the latest web issue here, if you like what you see sign up today |
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DOES ACCOUNTANCY = SOCIAL EXCLUSION? |
ACCA UK director Wyn Mears says it how he sees it |
Elitism in the professions and a lack of focus on careers in schools mean that bright young people from middle class, as well as lower income backgrounds, are being shut out from professional jobs.
This was the summary of a recent report, called Fair Access to the Professions. Produced by a panel of experts chaired by Alan Millburn MP, the report offered 80 recommendations about how young people’s future aspirations can be met – from excellent careers advice to internships to lifelong learning.
It is not often that you see the professions of journalism and accountancy mentioned in the same sentence, but what was surprising for ACCA was the fact that, for those born between 1958 and the 1970, the biggest decline in social mobility appeared to have occurred in the professions of journalism and accountancy.
This does not reflect our experience at ACCA – we actually have a good story to tell here – and PQ readers are part of that success. ACCA has always ensured access to our global qualification is open, fair and transparent.
Indeed, ACCA was highlighted as an example of good practice in the Government’s Fair Access to Professions second report, published in May 2009. It was
the precursor to the final report, published on 21 July.
As PQ readers know, with ACCA, mature students do not require any formal qualifications to register for courses. In addition, qualified Certified Accounting Technicians can study for the full ACCA qualification and receive exemptions from their first three papers. ACCA also offers partial exemptions for qualifying accountants who hold professional qualifications in a variety of other professional areas.
Access to our qualification is open to school-leavers, women returners, and to those without direct access to university – as well as to graduates – and we offer progression to higher qualifications and degrees via the Open University, Oxford Brookes University and Said Business School.
Fair Access to the Professions talks about how aspirations can be unleashed. ACCA believes good role models have a part to play here – students and members who have a story to share. What PQ readers might not know is that ACCA has members who are company directors of multinational corporations; finance directors within the oil and gas sector; as well as academics in some of the world’s most prestigious higher learning institutions.
ACCA members are to be found around the world, and being an accountant has allowed individuals from all walks of life to reach for their goals and implement career changes that have benefited not only themselves, but also the communities in which they live and work.
FAIR ACCESS…?
The Fair Access to the Professions report said:
• Tomorrow’s accountants will, today, be growing up in a family that is better off than 75% of UK families.
• Over half of professional occupations such as law and finance are dominated by those from independent schools.
• A typical professional born in 1958 came from a family that earned 17% more than the average family; but by 1970 the family gap between those who went on to pursue a professional career and the average family had risen to 27%, with accountancy seeing the biggest shift towards social exclusion.
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| [«all Career Advice] |
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