CIPFA bids to stem drop-out rate.
CIPFA, the public finance accountancy body, is set to tackle its student drop-out rate following concerns raised by a newly-elected council member.
Revealing a 10% drop-out rate, Ken Gill, CIPFA’s director of education and training, said the institute was taking the issue ‘very seriously’.
Student ‘wastage’ was a central theme for Ian Perkin, financial director for St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust, who was elected to the institute’s council this year.
Gill said CIPFA was analysing the profile of those who dropped out from the training programme and said every student who did not re-register would be contacted. ‘We will be targeting our activity to provide diagnostic advice to prevent drop-outs,’ he said.
Gill added one third of CIPFA students were ‘mature’ entrants who were either accounting technicians, had switched careers or were ‘A’ level entrants – a combined group where the drop-out rates were notably high.
‘We will be seeing what can be learnt from institutions such as the Open University in terms of support for this group,’ he said.
The institute will set targets for the reduction of the drop-out rate.
Gill also called on the other training bodies to address the issue. He said: ‘All bodies should be taking this seriously.’
Institute’s site is at www.cipfa.org.uk.