Do you know a broad-minded and forward-thinking person trying to decide on their path? As you know, today’s CPAs use their unique leadership, data analytics, accounting and finance skills to maximize their impact on all organizations, so an accounting career could be a diverse and interesting fit for someone in your life!
There are a number of ways students can learn more and get started on a CPA journey. The CPA Alberta website is full of resources for prospective CPAs. These include on-demand information sessions, a listing of courses necessary to enter the profession, and explanations of the pathways into the profession. As well, CPA Alberta produces a publication, Capitalize, specifically to introduce individuals to a CPA career. The latest issue, in a new digital-friendly format, can be found here. Make sure to share the link!
If your network includes any post-secondary students, you can also invite them to the CPA Education Foundation Future Professionals Conference. On February 18, students across the province will come together virtually for a day of personal and professional development to help prepare them for the future workforce while also reinforcing the importance of self-care.
CPA Alberta’s Recruitment team leads these initiatives. They help the next generation of business leaders figure out “who they want to be”—the theme of our student recruitment efforts. Those students have spent much of the past year hard at work learning remotely, and the team has been here to support them along the way. Recruitment Officers continue to deliver online information sessions about the CPA Certification Program to recruit future CPAs to the profession. The team also answers questions and provides advising services for prospective CPAs.
There are a number of other ways the profession builds awareness of the attractiveness of the CPA designation and supports students. The student club sponsorship program helps business and accounting clubs on campus host events that focus on networking activities, personal or professional development, or mental wellness. The sponsorship program not only helps these events remain financially viable for the clubs, but also provides an opportunity for CPA Alberta representation at post-secondary institutions across the province. In addition to sponsoring events, the recruitment team supports CPA Campus Ambassadors who liaise with the general student body to facilitate two-way communication between students and CPA Alberta.
The annual Meet Your Employer career fair sees students from all across Alberta meet employers from public practice, industry, and government for short conversations to learn more about the accounting profession in Alberta. Employers can evaluate prospective candidates and collect resumes to meet their staffing needs. Finding a job at Meet Your Employer can put a student on the path to fulfill their Practical Experience Requirements (PER) needed for CPA certification. In 2020, that event was held virtually and facilitated more than 4,000 conversations!
Also last year, CPA Alberta hosted the inaugural CPA E.A.T. (Engage and Taste) virtual networking events, funded by the CPA Education Foundation, in November. Nearly 150 post-secondary students in all years of study met CPA candidates and experienced CPAs for a chocolate tasting from Jacek Chocolate Couture. Of course, networking was a major focus of the event, and everyone loved chatting over chocolates. Events like CPA E.A.T. build and strengthen relationships between current and aspiring CPAs, giving students the opportunity to gain insights and see the diversity of the profession. CPAs in attendance gained a unique perspective on today’s post-secondary experience and learned about what the next generation has to offer.
CPA Alberta’s Recruitment team is here to guide the students of today along the path to becoming the accountants of tomorrow and help grow the next generation of CPAs.
