AICPA Launches Profession Ready Initiative to Transform CPA Workforce Readiness

Research will inform development of learning and resources to prepare emerging accounting talent for the rapidly evolving workplace

NEW YORK, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) today launched the Profession Ready Initiative, a research-backed effort designed to identify and develop the skills early-career CPAs need for success in a rapidly evolving and increasingly AI-driven marketplace.

The initiative responds to a clear need: as the nature of the accounting profession's work evolves, the profession must help emerging professionals identify and quickly develop essential skills while providing employers with the frameworks and tools they need to build high-performing teams.

"The Profession Ready Initiative is pivotal to addressing one of the profession's most pressing needs," said Susan Coffey, CPA, CGMA, the CEO of Public Accounting for AICPA. "We need to understand what it will take for the next generation of CPAs to thrive in an increasingly complex business world. Both emerging talent and the organizations that employ them want and need support to navigate this transformation successfully."

A Model for Professional Workforce Transformation

The initiative offers a road map that may help other professions grappling with similar challenges: how to prepare the next generation of talent when AI and other environmental factors are fundamentally changing the nature of work. It demonstrates how professions can lead workforce transformation rather than react to it.

The research, led by SkillEdge, a research firm with expertise in professional practice analysis and competency modeling, will examine the roles early-career CPAs perform, the skills required to excel, how job expectations align against education curricula, and where professionals need additional development support.

The AICPA will study two critical career stages: aspiring CPAs at the entry level and licensed CPAs at approximately the four-year mark, capturing insights on both current needs and how skill requirements will evolve through 2030. The Initiative's comprehensive research will identify critical skills to enable the profession to focus its collective efforts where they will matter most.

The initiative will deliver three key outputs:

• A skills framework to guide the training and development of early-career CPAs
• Learning solutions that use emerging technologies to help professionals quickly build their skills
• Teaching resources for universities to better align academic preparation with workforce requirements

Listening Across the Profession

Throughout 2026, the AICPA will conduct surveys, focus groups, and discussion sessions engaging thousands of practitioners, employers, educators, and other leaders to understand the skills that are required in this new normal and how to best instill them in early-career professionals.

"This initiative is grounded in research, listening and input. We're engaging with aspiring CPAs and professionals across every area, from major firms to small practices, from corporate finance departments to government agencies, from community colleges to four-year universities," said Lindsay Stevenson, CPA, CGMA, chief strategy officer for BPM LLP and Chair of the Profession Ready Initiative Advisory Group. "This initiative is for you, and we need your input."

From Research to Action

The research phase launches this month with the first of multiple surveys. Additional surveys and focus groups will continue throughout 2026. Members of the CPA community can participate by taking the survey at www.aicpa-cima.com/professionready.

After completing the research phase, the AICPA will release a draft of its findings for public comment in 2027, allowing the profession and its stakeholders to provide feedback before publishing final frameworks and resources.

Ultimately, the Initiative will deliver new learning tools and resources for use by employers, academics and early career professionals.

"Through this initiative, we are creating a framework that will help young talent succeed throughout their careers, and help employers develop top-performing teams," Coffey said. "Everyone invested in the future of the profession will benefit."

About the American Institute of CPAs  

The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) is the world's largest member association representing the CPA profession, with 397,000 members and a history of serving the public interest since 1887. AICPA members represent many areas of practice, including business and industry, public practice, government, education, and consulting. A founding member of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, the AICPA sets ethical standards for the profession, attestation standards, and U.S. auditing standards for private companies, not-for-profit organizations, and federal, state, and local governments. It develops and grades the Uniform CPA Examination, offers specialized credentials, partners across the profession to build future talent, and drives continuing education to advance the vitality, relevance, and quality of the profession. 

SOURCE AICPA