We are thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with Access Accountancy.
This collaboration represents our shared dedication to improving diversity within the accounting profession. By working closely with Access Accountancy, we aim to open doors for individuals from underrepresented socio-economic backgrounds and cultivate an environment where talent and potential are the main factors for success, rather than someone’s background.
Who are Access Accountancy?
Founded to address the lack of socio-economic diversity in the accountancy industry across the UK, Access Accountancy works with over 30 major organisations, firms and professional bodies to connect individuals from areas of disadvantage with work experience and early career opportunities.
As a result, the applicant pool for entry-level roles has become much broader, with over 6000 students benefitting from the initiative while enhancing their business and communication skills.
How the Kaplan partnership makes a difference
As we continue our drive to promote inclusion in the finance industry, our partnership with Access Accountancy will help us make a bigger impact. We will now have access to additional tools that enable us to efficiently collect and analyse data to drive meaningful, measurable progress.
The collaboration will also help us connect and share opportunities with thousands of young people from underrepresented groups who may not have otherwise discovered routes into the professions.
By joining this network, we also have additional opportunities to connect with a network of other signatories to share strategies and resources to encourage a more inclusive future.
Director of Apprenticeship Development and Diversity at Kaplan, Jenny Pelling says:
“Our collaboration with Access Accountancy is particularly pleasing and significant, given our shared mission to create meaningful opportunities for individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds. This work underscores our commitment to fostering inclusion within the accounting profession, ensuring that potential is recognised and nurtured, regardless of background.
We’re delighted to be paving the way together, and with others, for a more inclusive future in the field of accountancy."
Access Accountancy’s Lara Soltan-Mohammad says:
“Every year, Access Accountancy endeavours to make the sector more diverse and socially representative via its collaboration with signatory organisations, but it’s the commitment of these businesses to improve offerings, systems, and processes that really makes a difference.
We look forward to working with Kaplan to help drive this change within the profession.”
How to get involved
Employers in the accountancy sector looking to make a difference can also participate in this initiative by:
- Signing up as a partner to Access Accountancy.
- Offering work experience programmes and opportunities to underrepresented groups.
- Collecting and submitting social mobility data to benchmark and improve organisational diversity.
Find out more about what else we’re doing at Kaplan to help promote social mobility and inclusion in the industry.