AICPA Council supports development of national pipeline strategy

The governing body of the AICPA on Wednesday passed a resolution directing the organization to move forward with development of a national strategy focused on boosting the accounting profession's talent pipeline.

During its spring meeting in Washington, D.C., the AICPA Council supported continued work on the Pipeline Acceleration Plan, an expanded version of which was released last week.

"We understand the great urgency Council members expressed today on fixing our pipeline issues," Susan Coffey, CPA, CGMA, the AICPA's CEO—Public Accounting said in a news release. "We share it. We need a sustained, collaborative approach to broaden the pool of prospective CPA candidates. The path we set today strikes the right balance in moving forward with pipeline fixes that have broad consensus, while allowing deeper engagement on issues that are more challenging."

The resolution acknowledges the challenges facing the talent pipeline and the need for a "thoughtful strategic process" in the search for solutions while reiterating the Council's commitment to preserving the mobility of CPA licensees. Coffey said the state CPA societies' role in helping address the pipeline is essential.

The resolution reads in part: "This collaborative process, convened by and through the AICPA, should result in a continuous research-driven national pipeline strategy that, among other things, addresses the image of the profession in the eyes of students as well as educational and experience requirements, and outlines short and long-term initiatives and actions that result in measurable outcomes to address the profession's ongoing and evolving human capital needs and priorities."

Wednesday's resolution sets the stage for the AICPA to convene further strategy and implementation sessions with firms, state CPA societies, employers, regulators, educators, and other stakeholders.

Source: www.journalofaccountancy.com

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