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CPA Futures Begin at Year End
Accounting Career Day programs have been a staple of PICPA’s student outreach efforts for countless years. They may have changed in style and name, but they’ve also grown in attendance and popularity.
By Lesley Brown, marketing administrator, Pennsylvania CPA Foundation
The return of fall weather and crunching leaves mean many things to many people. For some students and parents, midsemester stress has begun. For many of our PICPA members, the cool weather is a reminder to start calculating their CPE needs as license renewal season has begun. For the Pennsylvania CPA Foundation team, the fall means the start of a busy season full of Accounting Career Days.
The Accounting Career Day programs have been a staple of PICPA’s student outreach efforts for countless years. They may have changed in style and name (any members remember the Passport to Opportunity days?), but they’ve also grown in attendance and popularity. In fall 2019, we are expecting nearly 2,000 high school students to attend our 15 events throughout the state.
Speakers will cover topics ranging from adopting a rhino mind-set to a typical day in the life of an accountant, but all the programs will give student attendees a well-rounded view of life as a CPA. More than 100 members are volunteering at events this fall to share their stories, career paths, goals, and best advice.
Last year we surveyed students in attendance to ask if they were considering a major in accounting before and after the event. Those answering “Yes” increased by 20.5% after the event! More than half of the attendees left considering a career as a CPA, and 91% of survey respondents departed with a positive perception of accounting (a 25.7% increase compared to their perception before the events). Read more about our 2018 student attendees.
We hope to make an even bigger impact on students in 2019. Join us at an event as a member volunteer or consider making a donation to the Pennsylvania CPA Foundation to help support events like these. The next generation of CPAs will thank you!
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