The Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales delivers commercial awareness session to Accounting and Finance students

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The Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales (ICAEW) recently delivered a session to undergraduate Accounting and Finance students.

The talk looked at the benefits of the ACA qualification (the ICAEW’s Chartered Accountancy qualification), and explained how students can improve their chances of finding a career by improving their commercial awareness.

Steph Campbell, ICAEW Marketing Executive for Student Recruitment, explained how the ICAEW University Student Scheme—which all Accounting and Finance students can join and is funded by the University—can complement students’ degrees by helping them to develop the workplace skills that employers are looking for. The students also participated in a commercial awareness exercise often used by graduate recruiters in assessment centres. Students were tasked to produce a report on a current business problem faced by a real business.

Not only did the session give students the opportunity to meet representatives from a globally recognised and highly regarded professional body, but also allowed them to apply the knowledge gained on their studies to real life issues which businesses face every day. It also gave students an insight into the world of accountancy and invaluable experience in using their communication, analytical and presentation skills.

Catherine Gregory, Director of Studies for Accounting and Finance, talks about the importance of involvement from professional bodies such as ICAEW on the programme and the success of the session:

“The Accounting and Finance programme at Liverpool is highly accredited by a range of professional bodies and gives students both the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a career in accountancy and other business areas. Our strong relationship with a range of professional bodies ensures that students are given the best opportunities and experience possible during their time at Liverpool. 

Feedback from the event has been extremely positive with students saying they found it very useful and that it will help them when applying for graduate jobs and placements, as well as allowing them to understand how what their studies are applied in practice.  I would like to thank Steph from ICAEW for visiting ULMS and running a fantastic session.”