Year13 and Chartered Accountants announce partnership to shed light on accounting careers

Year13 has announced a partnership with Chartered Accountants Australia and NZ aimed at driving awareness and consideration of accounting careers as the profession faces worker shortages and many teenagers not understanding what accountants actually do.

The partnership was launched at an event attended by industry and education stakeholders including EY, Macquarie Bank, Deloitte, ANU, UNSW, MYOB, Ready Tech, Westpac, The Future Skills Organisation, Monash University and Macquarie University.

Anchored in a digital e-learning Academy and campaign named “Business Class”, it aims to reframe the conversation about accounting careers and showcase the diverse opportunities the profession offers to inspire school students to consider it as a career path.

The partnership will see accounting careers promoted to over 1 million young people in addition to connecting with parents and career practitioners through Career Tools, Year13’s career transition platform in over 1200 subscribing high schools.

Year13 Co-founder Will Stubley said: “Year13’s mission is to upgrade the school to work transition. Supporting young people into fulfilling work in high-potential professions and growth industries is a priority for us. Industries need to prioritise and invest in growing their people pipeline to secure their future workforce and our partnership with Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand lays the foundations to drive industry-wide collaboration and get more young people considering accounting.”

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand group executive for education and marketing Simon Hann said: “We’re hearing from our members that attracting talent is the no. 1, 2 and 3 issue and priority. Let’s make no mistake about it, not enough students are choosing accounting as a career at the same time as there is a significant and growing need for accountants.

"Fortifying and growing the talent pipeline is priority no. 1, if we don’t there are broad-based social and economic ramifications including impacts across business productivity, digital economy and public confidence in the financial community. All of us in the room share this challenge, but what are we going to do about it? At Chartered Accountants we’re not waiting for things to change, tonight we’re going to launch a pivotal part of our strategy to underpin a more sustainable accounting profession.

“About a year ago we started deep engagement with high school students to understand how we could change perceptions of accounting. We went into that engagement with our own perceptions and biases, we thought Gen Zs would think accounting is boring and maths-related and office-bound, and they do think that. But we found a more fundamental challenge and that is students don’t even have an opinion about accounting, they actually don’t know what an accountant is or an accountant does. And I confess we were rocked back on our heels by this revelation.

“And we have a lot to offer them. Accountants are woven throughout the global economy, our profession opens doors in just about every corner of the world, across sectors, industries and businesses of every size. Essentially accounting offers them a pathway to turn their passions into a career. Reshaping their perceptions of accounting requires us to speak to them on their terms, in the language they use and  in the places and the platforms they socialise with their peers. This is why it’s been so critical and important that our partnership with Year13 can come into play to help us achieve that. Together we’re dedicated to bridging the gap between young people and the accounting profession while simultaneously enhancing the profession's reputation and standing.”