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30 Aug 2008

Accountancy is a dynamic profession which is constantly evolving to meet the needs and demands of how businesses operate. Nowhere is this more apparent than at an accounting-support level, where the role of the accounting technician is greatly changing. These changes include the globalisation of standards, the automation of accounting functions which have led to an increase in the emergence of business process outsourcing services (BPOs) and financial shared service centres (FSSCs), and the rise of more complex compliance and governance procedures. In an IT-driven age, technicians need to use their skills in new ways to contribute to business performance.

In addition, research shows that employers now place an increasing importance on talent management in a time where there is a skills shortage in many regions and a real challenge to attract, retain and develop talented individuals from a wide talent pool. Employers are looking for specialised training and qualifications, which offer flexible and tailored routes for employees, increasingly aligned to the programmes offered by their own learning academies and in-house training divisions. Above all, employers are looking to ensure that all their finance employees at all levels have the highest ethical standards.

ACCA recognises that needs vary by sector and by economy. Employers want to employ people in accounting-support roles who adhere to consistent standards but whose skills are tailored to different environments with learning firmly embedded in organisation culture and practice.

Join the debate

ACCA is launching a global debate on the future accounting technician - the knowledge and skills they require to perform in the workplace and ways in which foundation programmes can be delivered in flexible, tailored ways to reflect the many accounting-support roles required by employers. We want to create a model of the accounting technician of the future that meets the needs of business in a changing environment - the 'ethical technician'.

We also want to create paths to qualification and professional careers that are modelled on approaches to learning that are aligned to organisations' HR policies and practices and their in-house programmes. In short, we wish to invent a future for accounting-support roles which leads to high-performing and rewarding career options for talented people working in a wide range of roles.

To take part in the debate, we encourage you to read our proposals for revising our foundation-level qualification, and then providing your feedback by completing a short questionnaire.

You have until 22 October 2008 to participate, and you may find it useful to print a copy of the proposals to refer to when completing the online questionnaire. Please e-mail survey@accaglobal.com if you experience any difficulties accessing the questionnaire. 
 
ACCA encourages you to take part in the consultation process and we look forward to receiving your feedback.