IT has been a challenging year for everyone, especially so for school-leavers who are standing at a major crossroad, where they have to make an important choice that will determine their future.
At crucial junctions like these, when their decisions will have far-reaching impact on their life journey, they need to make the right choice that will set them on a path to success.
As such ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and 17 leading learning institutions collaborated in setting up the RM1 million bursary fund to help students in need.
The Foundation in Accountancy (FIA) with the ACCA ‘FIA-1-Million’ Campaign which is a bursary programme set up by 17 top learning institutions in the country to provide financial assistance to help 1,000 Malaysian students fulfil their dreams of pursuing a successful career in the accounting and finance sector.
“The accountancy profession is one of the key areas that are currently under-served in Malaysia. In order to meet our country’s aspiration of developing 60,000 professional accountants to support our transformation into a developed nation, we need to work together with our partners in the education and government sectors as well as employers to look into new ways of developing and increasing the number of students embarking on the profession which we have identified as necessary for Malaysia’s growth” said Edward Ling, Head of ACCA Maritime Southeast Asia.
“Students embarking on ACCA FIA can also be assured that they will learn from the best, as all our Approved Learning Partners meet rigorous standards of teaching quality, giving our young talents a strong start on their journey to a fulfilling career as a finance professional, with a globally-recognised qualification that is highly valued by employers around the world,” added Ling.
Accountancy is a preferred career path even in the midst of a pandemic; one profession has stood the test of time.
The stability and resilience of the accounting and finance profession has made this a preferred and attractive career path for many across the globe.
Meanwhile, seventeen (17) ACCA Approved Learning Partners that are part of this campaign will be granting sponsorships to a committed number of students across Malaysia to help school leavers take their first steps towards obtaining a world class accounting qualification – the ACCA Foundation in Accountancy (ACCA FIA).
Nationwide students especially those who have just completed their SPM examinations can contact and visit these Approved Learning Partners directly to enquire and sign up for the bursary which will be available from June 22, 2021 to December 31, 2021.
ACCA Approved Learning Partners – Platinum Partners: Imperium International College; INTEC Education College; Methodist College Kuala Lumpur; Sentral College Penang; Sunway College Ipoh; Sunway College Johor Bahru; Sunway College Kuching; Sunway TES; and UOW Malaysia KDU.
ACCA Approved Learning Partners – Gold Partners: Crescendo International College; Kompas International College; Institut Akauntan KTC Johor Bahru; Institut Sinaran; Methodist Pilley Institute; Pintar College; Taylor’s College; and YES International College
In addition to helping students continue their education journey, especially those affected by the pandemic, ACCA and its partners considers this as the opportune juncture to identify ways to further strengthen the accountancy profession in Malaysia.
This effort also enhances the contribution of the accountancy profession in nation building, given the changing economic landscape and the need for Malaysia to remain competitive as a nation.
According to the latest ACCA and IMA Global Economic Conditions Survey (GECS), the global economy is bouncing back in terms of confidence, orders, employment, and spending.
“In anticipation of potential growth opportunities in the coming months and year ahead, we must focus on developing our youth as highly-skilled talents will be critical as Malaysian companies increasingly look beyond home for bigger markets and regional excellence, whilst multinationals continue to view Malaysia favourably as a stepping stone to Southeast Asia,” Ling explained.
The introduction of the newly available ACCA FIA will now replace the Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) Qualification, as the most efficient route and entry point into accountancy for secondary school-leavers, graduates from non-accounting professions and for those seeking new prospects in their career.
For more information about the ACCA Foundation in Accountancy (FIA) or to apply, please visit https://www.accaglobal.com/my/en/student/FIA.html.