Why academics should care about AICPA’s Profession Ready Initiative

Technology, artificial intelligence, and market demands are reshaping the CPA profession. The manual work that provided on-the-job training for early-career accountants is increasingly being automated, raising questions such as what skills and competencies do these new accountants need  and how will they be acquired?  

The challenge of answering the question of workforce readiness is a defining opportunity for the profession (see “How Will Accountants Learn New Skills When AI Does the Work?”, JofA, March 1, 2026). The AICPA is taking on this challenge with a new research-based effort to develop and strengthen young CPA talent to thrive in the changing workplace.

The Profession Ready Initiative is designed to identify the skills that early-career CPAs need to succeed today and over the near term, pinpoint where gaps exist, and to develop practical solutions that can be applied by employers, educators, and professional bodies.

The goal is ambitious and critical: to ensure that CPAs entering the profession are prepared to meet client and employer needs, adapt to emerging technologies such as AI, and thrive across diverse career paths in public accounting, business and industry, government, and nonprofit organizations.

This work is spurred directly by requests from members of the profession and reinforced by findings from our Rise2040 project, which has underscored workforce transformation as an essential priority for the profession’s long-term success.

The academic community is a vital partner in the success of this initiative and in the success of early-career talent. The Profession Ready Initiative will engage educators throughout the process to ensure their insights and needs are reflected in the research and in the development of the tools that emerge.

What the Profession Ready Initiative will deliver

The Profession Ready Initiative will produce a comprehensive, research-based view of early-career CPA skills and competencies. The focus will be on setting emerging professionals up for success with skills employers are seeking in the workplace. The aim of this research is to understand how early-career CPAs actually perform their roles now and how they will in the future. The output of the research will replace the current AICPA Foundational Competencies for Aspiring CPAs. The framework, tools, and resources resulting from the initiative will be informed by all those who intersect with early talent: employers, academics, and other emerging professionals.

It is equally important to be clear about what this initiative is not. It is not a mandate for curriculum change, nor is it a replacement of accounting fundamentals, ethics, or professional judgment. It is not a tool to shift employer training responsibilities onto universities and it is not a redesign of the CPA Exam or licensure.

While the initiative is exploring new or expanded skills and competencies, it is clear that accounting programs already wrestle with having enough instructional time to cover a wide swath of material. The initiative will examine how the profession can support skill development through not only education, but also through employer training, and provide targeted learning solutions for both. Everyone involved in the development of early-career talent has a role to play.

What to expect

The AICPA has formed an advisory group to help ensure a broad and balanced approach. The advisory group members include David Wood, Ph.D., the Glenn D. Ardis Professor at Brigham Young University’s School of Accountancy, who is giving voice to academic community perspectives and classroom realities during advisory group discussions.

The AICPA has also engaged a third-party research firm to conduct a comprehensive profession analysis, including a review of a number of accounting program syllabi, accounting profession job descriptions, and other materials. We anticipate this analysis will last through the first half of 2026.

At the same time, the initiative will also engage stakeholders across the profession through focus groups, discussion groups, interviews, and surveys.

Over the coming months, CPAs and accounting profession stakeholders will have multiple additional opportunities to engage, including:

• Participation in surveys focused on early-career skills and gaps.
• Focus groups, discussion groups, and interviews with practitioners across practice areas and employer types and with members of the academic community.
• Opportunities to review and comment on findings before they are finalized.

If you would like to volunteer to participate in one of the four Academic Discussion Group Sessions to be held this summer, complete this interest form.

Later this year, the AICPA and the research firm will analyze the inputs and data and begin to refine emerging themes and recommendations. That will be followed by an exposure draft for public comment in 2027, with results expected to be finalized and launched later that year. We strongly encourage all stakeholders to take part and help shape outcomes that will support the next generation of professionals.

Staying informed

Be on the lookout for regular updates throughout the process, including initial findings, participation opportunities, and key milestones. Information will be available through AICPA channels, including our free Faculty Hour webinars and our Academic Update Quarterly newsletter, and we welcome ongoing dialogue as this work progresses. For the latest information, visit aicpa-cima.com/professionready.

The Profession Ready Initiative represents a significant step toward strengthening the profession’s future. With your involvement, it will deliver insights and solutions that support meaningful, lasting change.

— Jan Taylor, CPA, CGMA, Ph.D., is senior director–Academic in Residence at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Jeff Drew at Jeff.Drew@aicpa-cima.com.