EDUCATION: PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CPAs As the role of the CPA demands the mastery of more nontraditional accounting skills, professionals both in academia and in public and private accounting practice are left pondering what kind of education is needed to successfully prepare a new breed of accountants.
From newly designed course offerings to customized internships, experts weigh in on the education and training that is needed at both the high school and college levels: Do high school students understand what it means to be a CPA? How can we explain a CPA to high school students? Cathleen McQuillen, D.P.S., CPA, associate professor in the School of Business & Digital Media at Georgian Court University Many first-year students just out of high school do not understand what it means to be an accountant and do not appreciate the prestige and employment opportunities for CPAs. This is true whether the student comes from a more privileged background or is a first-generation student going to college. Often students first learn of accounting by taking the required accounting classes for all business students. If these are not taken until junior or senior year, changing to an accounting major would delay graduation which directly impacts their financial future.
Often this is not a risk they are willing to take. A recent trend is the better-prepared student taking the lower-level college courses in high school which has led to more students selecting accounting as a major upon entry to college. What is also needed to initiate an interest among high school students is to meet them where they live, online. We know that accounting appeals to a certain type of person, and the use and development of games such as AICPA’s “Bank on It” game is important. But to fully attract students, an application with prizes and advancement would be more interactive and effective. Does the college accounting curriculum need to be altered? How can colleges better prepare young professionals? Corey R. Temple, CPA, managing partner of KPMG LLC’s Short Hills office Today’s professionals need a blend of accounting and STEM skills. The future accountant needs to be more data-centric,
CONTRIBUTORS In order of appearance
CATHLEEN MCQUILLEN, D.P.S., CPA Associate Professor Georgian Court University
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COREY R. TEMPLE, CPA, Managing Partner KPMG LLC
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 | NEW JERSEY CPA
COURTNEY McLAUGHLIN, CPA, Senior Tax Accountant Withum
DR. JOSEPH HOWE CPA, CFE, CGFM Chief Financial Officer
