Students and staff head to Parliament as part of barrier-breaking accountancy initiative

Bachelor of Science (BSC) Accounting and Finance students, Fern Moffatt and Joel Austin, alongside Senior Lecturer Helen Clayfield, were invited to the House of Commons event marking the publication of the new report.

The Breaking Down Barriers to Accountancy report from the Purpose Coalition is aimed at driving action to deliver equality of opportunity across the accountancy profession.

The Purpose Coalition is chaired by former Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities, Rt Hon Justine Greening, who is herself a trained accountant, and the accountancy initiative is underway in collaboration with 11 leading UK accountancy firms.

The report sets out insights, perspectives, examples of best practice and recommendations based on four key areas - outreach, access, recruitment and progression. The recommendations are intended to focus the sector’s efforts on attracting and retaining people from diverse backgrounds and groups who disproportionately face challenges and are traditionally underrepresented in the profession as a result. 

Fern and Joel are both Student Voice Representatives at the University of Chester.

Fern said: “It was a fantastic opportunity to travel to the House of Commons to attend the launch of the new project by the Purpose Coalition; Breaking Down Barriers to Accountancy.

“As a Student Voice Representative, I interact with lots of students that come from different backgrounds. I strongly support this project as I don't believe that any students' career should be limited due to their circumstances. It was reassuring to hear from accounting firms that are adopting this framework to be more inclusive in their recruitment processes. 

“I am so thankful to the University of Chester for this opportunity, with a special thankyou to Helen for organising everything and coming along with us. I have made some amazing new connections as a result and feel more enthusiastic about going into the accounting industry after hearing about the effort that is going into this project.”

Joel also described the honour of representing the University at the launch event earlier this month (April): “Attending the launch of the project in the House of Commons was an amazing and inspiring experience. I felt privileged to be invited to such an important event led by the Purpose Coalition, focusing on improving social mobility in the accounting profession.

“Speaking to firms, industry representatives and other students not only gave me a chance to network, but also gain valuable insights and a deeper understanding of what's being done to overcome challenges faced. Attending this event, has left me feeling more motivated about my future career and that with the right mindset, there's plenty of opportunities out there.” 

He continued: “If this opportunity or something similar comes up for any future students at the University of Chester, I encourage you to go for it. Opportunities like this can open doors and are a great experience for anybody looking to get into the Accounting and Finance profession.”

Helen, Programme Leader for BSc Accounting and Finance, added: “It was important that representatives from the University of Chester attended this event in order to understand the challenges that the accountancy profession faces whilst it considers boosting social mobility and making opportunities available to all. The work that this project has undertaken provides an insight and understanding of the barriers, challenges and potential solutions that will impact the graduate market for our students.”

The Breaking Down Barriers to Accountancy report is available online at: https://www.purpose-coalition.org/impact-reports/accountancy