Awards 2016 PQ
TIME TO INNOVATE We take a look at last year’s winner of the Innovation in Accountancy category – KPMG and BPP
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nnovation in Accountancy is one of the more hotly contested categories at the PQ awards, and 2015 was no different. The winner was the ACA Intensive Programme launched by BPP and KPMG. We spoke to Sarah Mackey, who helps run the programme at BPP. She described the scheme as very different from anything out there at the moment in accountancy. It works a bit like a law course; students do three years at university, followed by a year’s postgraduate study, all before stepping into work full-time. The programme allows KPMG PQs to complete most of their ICAEW qualification within 10 months of joining the firm. After that students have just the case study to complete. A real innovation comes from replacing the ICAEW professional level with a graduate diploma in accounting (GDA), developed by BPP University. The diploma includes a bespoke ‘theory in practice’ module to help trainees bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace, although these fast-track students do have two work placements in the business, in February and August. In the first year just 60 students went down this route. Last year that figure grew to 100 and
PQ Magazine December 2015
KPMG’s Michael Walby with ICAEW director of learning Mark Protherough and BPP’s MartinTaylor this year it will be 155. And these numbers could increase, suggested Mackey. The course fits in well with the changing resource demands at KPMG. It needs people to be upskilled quickly because of the changing nature of work – we are talking automation and shared services here. Students, too, love the fact that they can just focus on their exams. KPMG has created a USP with this innovative
programme, of that there is no doubt, and our judges agreed. What they really liked was how well the programme was supported by BPP tutors, who share their experience (they are all qualified chartered accountants) with the PQs. Each trainee is supported by a performance coach, who provides proactive support for both high performers and those that are struggling. It is hardly surprising that the pass rates are regularly 95%-plus. PQ
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