The National Pipeline Advisory Group ( NPAG ) released its final report of recommendations to address the accounting talent shortage .

The group ’ s recommendations are organized into six themes :

• Make the academic experience more engaging : Consider what is taught in principles of accounting courses and when , as well as ensure accounting programs are positioned to help guide and support students as they progress into more challenging coursework .

• Address the time and cost of education : Creating a process to keep the CPA license and its requirements evolving , transparent and accessible .

• Grow support for CPA Exam candidates : Address the cost of the exam and rewarding individuals for passing each section of the exam ; adding flexibility to the timeframe in which the exam can be taken ; simplifying the application and eligibility process end-to-end ; and reworking the content and / or format of the exam itself .

• Prioritize strategies to expand access for underrepresented groups : Tactics include targeted messages ; scalable college-bound experiential programs ; and closer relationships among the profession and community colleges , four-year colleges , and minority-serving institutions and universities .

• Enhance the employee experience by evolving business models and cultures : Create a more attractive employee experience , including an immediate shift in starting salaries to be competitive with other majors and professions vying for top talent , and employers making the return on investment of an accounting education more compelling .

• Tell a more compelling story about accounting careers : Outdated messaging that highlights more negatives than positives and misperceptions about an accounting career persist and hurts the profession ’ s pipeline . Read the report at accountingpipeline . org / wp-content / uploads / 2024 / 08 / NPAG-Strategy-Report . pdf .

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