Accountancy students broaden skills
Accountancy students may be developing a wider skill set in response to changing demands following the credit crisis
ACCOUNTANCY STUDENTS are increasingly seeking a broad range of skills with which to start their careers, ranging from environmental accounting to SME expertise.
The credit crisis prompted business to look more holistically at the knowledge needed for success, reports the Financial Times, and employers now want accountants to be savvy when it comes to monitoring and reporting on risk.
Heather Venis, director of education at the Institute of Financial Accountants, said: “Companies have wised up a bit about not just needing an accountant that’s technically brilliant… Students are now taking the wider view rather than choosing a single path such as technical accounting, that is too narrow.”
Other stakeholders are supporting the trend, such as the Prince of Wales’ Accounting for Sustainability project – focusing on integrated reporting – and the London School of Business and Finance, which has designed an MBA that fits with an accountancy qualification in response to growing demand.