The war for accountancy talent has intensified over the last few years. Globally organisations are struggling to attract and retain trainee talent. In Ireland, a decline in student registrations across all professional accountancy bodies exacerbated the situation and in 2018 the number of new accountancy students stood at -27% below pre- recession levels making it extremely challenging for members and employers to source accountancy trainees.
In response to the challenging recruitment market, CPA Ireland launched the Trainee Placement Service in 2019. This complimentary recruitment initiative was set up to support members and employers in finding the right trainee talent for their organisation and to assist prospective students in finding a CPA trainee role. The team at CPA Ireland built out a robust trainee candidate attraction strategy including a new job board, digital advertising, email campaigns and candidate personas. Trainee candidates receive ongoing support throughout their trainee job search with the ability to access a CV review, interview coaching and feedback. Members & employers have access to high calibre trainee talent without the high costs associated with recruitment agencies and receive expert advice throughout the hiring process.
The Trainee Placement Service has been a huge success for CPA Ireland. Candidates who secure roles through the placement service are automatically registered as CPA students and in 2021 the service was cited as one of the top reasons perspective students choose the CPA Qualification. This year we have witnessed a notable surge in interest from both students and employers nationwide. Along with an increase in engagement we have achieved some impressive recruitment metrics which included filling a recent trainee role with a leading aviation company in just 10 days.
If your organisation has trainee recruitment plans now or in the future, please reach out directly to Caroline Moloney:
cmoloney@cpaireland.ie