While the world was busy finding its feet during the pandemic, CA ANZ launched its new CA Program. The June 2021 relaunch was the result of years of consultation and development with CA ANZ members and Global Accounting Alliance (GAA) partners.

Nearly three years on, word about the new program’s improved flexibility and focus on business skills is spreading among the accounting fraternity.

Fewer high-stakes exams

The biggest change, says CA Program general manager Samantha Wilson FCA, is that the old program was aimed at delivering technically proficient graduates across four core modules. It featured high-stakes final exams and a final capstone module where professional capabilities were taught and nurtured.

The mission of the new CA Program is to deliver graduates who can add value to any team or business environment. There are seven core subjects and candidates are required to choose two electives from seven on offer. Each subject has its own assessment, staggering the commitment required from candidates. Subjects are also shorter in length and offered more regularly throughout the year.

“Previously, subjects were 12 weeks with an exam in week 13. Now, our core subjects are eight weeks, except for the first subject on ethics which is two weeks, and electives are six weeks,” Wilson says.

“We used to offer nine subjects a year. With the shorter subjects, we have moved to a four-term timetable and offer 32 subjects a year. Most subjects are offered two-to-three times a year, so managers and staff can plan around busy periods. There are hundreds of ways people can plot a program journey to align with work and other commitments.”

Greater ‘on the job’ focus

One major issue with the old CA Program was that business skills like teamwork were only really addressed in the final capstone module. A paradigm shift has taken place in the new program.

Professional capabilities are now embedded into each subject. Participants are called on to develop skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, communication and professional scepticism in workshop and team environments. For example, ethics and business, the first core subject, requires participation in a day-long workshop, where students work in a team and deliver a presentation together.

Wilson says the enhanced business skills focus is a win–win for graduates and their employers.

“Graduates are bringing strategic thinking and problem-solving skills straight back to their teams from day one after graduating. They’ve got that understanding,” she says.

“The way we teach now is all about how things would be done within a workplace. Electives in data analytics or financial modelling are available, and using AI and addressing sustainability issues are embedded in all core subjects.”

Topics for all professionals

The other electives are advanced tax, assurance, strategy and performance, advanced financial reporting, and sustainability. The seven core subjects are ethics and business, risk and technology, financial accounting and reporting, tax, business performance, audit and risk, and an integration module called integrated chartered accounting practice.

“The program will give candidates an awareness about what is happening right now in the broader industry,” says Wilson. “With the electives, anyone working within a firm can select topics relevant for their area of work. Then, if they want to dive deeper into an area related to their work, they can. It makes the CA Program attractive to any accounting professional.”

Mentors get help

The three-year mentorship component of the program has also received some necessary upgrades. Mentors and candidates are now required to meet every six months to reflect on goals set six months prior, and all communication is logged online for tracking purposes.

There is also short training for mentors. Wilson says the training gives mentors more guidance on how they can support their candidates to make the experience more valuable for both parties.

“Managers interested in becoming mentors can sign up for the training, which shouldn’t take more than one hour to complete,” she says.

“In an ideal world, the mentor is someone who the candidate works alongside in the firm: someone who’s a manager or senior manager and is able to invest the time in the candidate and their development.”

CA’s global signature

One distinguishing feature of the CA Program compared with other accreditations is CA ANZ’s membership with the GAA. Graduates can leverage this alliance while gaining work experience in the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, Japan and South Africa.

With firms currently engaged in a war for talent, Wilson says the global mobility offered with the CA Program is a compelling feature.

“We have reciprocity with the other GAA bodies. Being able to send staff to work overseas is much easier with CA accreditation,” she says. “The opportunity to get experience in a different market is really valuable. It will definitely help in attracting people to your team.”

For people who have studied overseas and wish to undertake the CA Program, Wilson says credit is awarded to degrees that align with Australian and New Zealand standards. Where competencies are missing, CA ANZ offers foundation courses through Deakin University.

“Depending on what the competencies missing are, people can generally start the CA Program concurrently while picking up any missing competencies. They can enrol anytime in foundation courses, and exams are offered six times a year,” Wilson says.

New fast-track and big-picture offerings

Another feature of the revamped program is the optional CA Study Masterclass. It provides candidates juggling work commitments with additional subject support.

“It is an additional cost but it’s an opportunity for candidates to go through some of the key material in detail to prepare for exams and the assessments,” says Wilson. “For candidates with busy calendars, it’s a really good option because it gives them time to focus and work through activities in real time with a facilitator, so they can accelerate their learning.”

The old capstone module has been overhauled and is now the Integrated Chartered Accounting Practice (ICAP) subject. With professional skills being developed in other core subjects, ICAP seeks to elevate those skills to the next level, with candidates thrown into challenging team setups and required to deliver clear communications and strategic advice.

“It brings together everything candidates have learned in the core program and encourages them to see the bigger picture,” says Wilson.

“They have to overcome disagreements and look at the challenges. They may not work well together, but they have to then deal with that in order to deliver, simulating what happens in the workplace where people have different working styles.”