CAQ promotes diversity with national high school curriculum

The Center for Audit Quality and EverFi Inc., a company that designs and develops educational software, announced Tuesday a new curriculum for high school students nationwide. 

The initiative strives to expose students to accounting careers, grow a more diverse talent pipeline, and discuss what barriers prevent underrepresented populations from entering the field. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 31% of accountants and auditors were people of color in 2021, which still represents an 8% increase since 2010.

"We are focused on addressing the diversity gap that exists within our profession," said Liz Barentzen, CAQ vice president of talent initiatives, in a statement. "Now with a national schools program, we are able to reach the next generation of accounting professionals and ensure that students can see themselves within this growing profession. We are committed to making accounting more approachable and cultivating equitable representation within the field."

Courtesy of the Center for Audit Quality

Beginning in the fall, the national initiative aims to provide learners and educators with short-form accounting resources to encourage more people to pick this major and increase diversity in enrollment. During the spring term, the new curriculum will take an interactive digital form and expose students to the accounting field with a focus on attracting more people with diverse backgrounds. One thousand U.S. schools will benefit from the program during the 2022-2023 academic year, and 3,000 schools the year after. 

The organization also launched two programs in January to promote diversity in the accounting profession and provide more transparency about equity, diversity and inclusion efforts in the field. In addition, the CAQ will offer $50,000 in scholarships for the 2022-2023 academic year, and $75,000 the following year to expose more college students to the accounting profession. 

"It's important for students to see themselves and feel represented in careers they can pursue," said EverFi president and co-founder Ray Martinez in a statement. "It's critical to reach students before they leave high school with resources around career exploration. We look forward to working on this important initiative with the CAQ to ensure that students have access to dynamic, tailored education about all the accounting-centered professions that are available."