The American Institute of CPAs introduced a new program dubbed the Profession Ready Initiative to identify and develop the skills needed by early-career CPAs to succeed in an increasingly AI-driven market.
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The initiative aims to prepare the next generation of talent when AI and other environmental factors are fundamentally changing the nature of work. As the nature of the accounting profession’s work evolves, the AICPA believes the profession has to help emerging professionals identify and quickly develop essential skills while providing employers with the frameworks and tools they need to build high-performing teams.
“The Profession Ready Initiative is pivotal to addressing one of the profession’s most pressing needs,” said Susan Coffey, CEO of public accounting at the AICPA, in a statement Monday. “We need to understand what it will take for the next generation of CPAs to thrive in an increasingly complex business world. Both emerging talent and the organizations that employ them want and need support to navigate this transformation successfully.”
The initiative leverages research from SkillEdge, a research firm that specializes in professional practice analysis and competency modeling, examining the roles performed by early-career CPAs, the skills required to excel, how job expectations align against education curricula, and where professionals need more development support. The AICPA plans to study two critical career stages: aspiring CPAs at the entry level and licensed CPAs at approximately the four-year mark, gaining insights on both current needs and how skill requirements will evolve through 2030. The research will identify the necessary skills to help the accounting profession to focus its collective efforts where they will matter most.
The initiative will deliver three key outputs:
A skills framework to guide the training and development of early-career CPAs;Learning solutions that use emerging technologies to help professionals quickly build their skills; and,Teaching resources for universities to better align academic preparation with workforce requirements.
Throughout the year ahead, the AICPA will be conducting surveys, focus groups and discussion sessions with thousands of practitioners, employers, educators and other leaders to understand the skills required and how to best instill them in early-career professionals.
“This initiative is grounded in research, listening and input,” said Lindsay Stevenson, chief strategy officer for BPM LLP and chair of the Profession Ready Initiative Advisory Group, in a statement. We’re engaging with aspiring CPAs and professionals across every area, from major firms to small practices, from corporate finance departments to government agencies, from community colleges to four-year universities. This initiative is for you, and we need your input.”
The research phase begins this month with the first of several surveys. More surveys and focus groups will continue throughout the year. Members of the CPA community can take the survey at www.aicpa-cima.com/professionready.
Once the research phase is complete, the AICPA plans to release a draft of its findings for public comment in 2027, allowing the accounting profession and its stakeholders to provide feedback before publishing final frameworks and resources. The initiative will eventually deliver new learning tools and resources for use by employers, academics and early career professionals.
“Through this initiative, we are creating a framework that will help young talent succeed throughout their careers, and help employers develop top-performing teams,” Coffey stated. “Everyone invested in the future of the profession will benefit.”
