Education

Considering that the world is rapidly moving forward, members and associates have to respond to the significant changes facing the accountancy profession. These include the increasing pace of change and disruptive technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as well as the continued improvement in technology and its broadening prevalence in the workplace. This is particularly relevant for accountants as intelligent systems can now execute some of their traditional basic functions. SAICA’s approach to creating members and associates who are fit for the future, include a new lifelong learning (CPD) policy, the CA2025 project and adapting our learning offerings to match a changing world of work.

The outcome of the CA2025 project is to clearly define what competencies are required of entry-level and already qualified members and associates in order for them to remain relevant in the future. The implementation of this project spans a number of years given the significance of the changes, which includes a review of SAICA’s formal assessments as well as improvements to teaching and learning approaches and the post-qualification process.

The Pathways to Relevance framework uses business processes and its value creation process to address the professional competence needs of SAICA’s members and associates who work in a wide range of roles. The framework was developed to align the competencies required of members and associates, keeping in mind the escalating complexity in the business environment, globalisation, digital disruption, increased stakeholder demands and the need to restore the public’s trust in the profession.

The new framework provides a future-focused view into selected career paths and associated competencies required to remain relevant now and into the future. The framework defines the knowledge, skills, and attributes needed for members and associates within ten identified career paths. Each career path has a defined set of competencies and denotes the required level of proficiency needed to perform the role effectively at entry, mid- and senior management levels.

The framework will also assist members and associates as they apply the new SAICA CPD policy requirements, which sets out that each member and associate must prepare a reflective learning plan in which they identify the competencies required for their specific role, the competencies they need further development in and undertake relevant learning and development interventions to address those competence gaps.

Short online courses on the Fourth Industrial Revolution have been rolled out for members in partnership with the University of Johannesburg in areas that have been identified as critical skills for current and future scarce skills. These include big data, big data analytics, integrated thinking, block chain and its impact on the accountancy profession, as well as integrated reporting.