Encouraging accounting early: CPA firms can help 

What if there’s a way to get Virginia high school students into accounting firms before they enter college to see for themselves the rewards and benefits of a career in accounting or finance?

Spoiler: There is! Through the Virginia Department of Education’s High-Quality Work Based Learning Program (HQWBL — yes, it’s a mouthful!), students can connect with accounting firms to complete internships and other training programs. 

A history of supporting careers 

Preparing high school students for vocational and technical careers has a long history. The Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 promoted precollegiate vocational education and a variety of subsequent laws helped establish career and technical education (CTE) programs nationwide. 

CTE programs benefit students, parents, businesses and communities by providing students with actual credentials rather than a letter on a report card. Students have the potential to earn a state-issued professional license, industry certification, occupational competency assessment, and/or workplace readiness skills. The experience benefits students in the real world; Advance CTE reports that 77% of employers hire an employee in part because of their CTE experience.  

In fact, as a Virginia graduate requirement, students are required to either complete an Advanced Placement (AP) course, a dual credit course, or a CTE program.  

The Virginia Department of Education is kicking things up a notch by merging CTE with the High-Quality Work Based Learning program. Schools coordinate programs in partnership with businesses and organizations, with opportunities including job shadowing, service learning, internships, externships and more.  

These programs connect to Virginia’s 5 Cs — collaboration, communication, citizenship, creativity and critical thinking, while allowing students to apply the skills in a business or service-oriented work environment.  

Case study: Harris, Hardy & Johnstone, PC 

VSCPA member George Crowell, CPA, CITP, principal at Richmond-based Harris, Hardy & Johnstone, PC, has worked with high school students involved in the program for the past two years.  

Last year, two high school students came to Harris, Hardy & Johnstone and looked over tax returns, took an online accounting class, and shadowed a few individuals. After completing their work, George asked them to write a one-page reflection on what they liked and disliked about their experience. He used that feedback this year when he welcomed two new students. They helped with administrative tasks like scanning. Firm employees were pleased with the students’ work. 

Connor Reed, who graduated last year from Midlothian High School, worked at the firm as a scanner in the spring and requested to be an intern for the summer season.  

“When we got in the real world, we started to see there were more things than just sitting behind a desk all day,” Connor said. He is currently attending Virginia Military Institute and would like to major in business with an accounting concentration — and ultimately become a CPA. 

“These accounting classes and this internship has let me know that this is definitely what I want to do and have given me some insight and experience to what’s ahead of me,” Connor said. 

HQWBL is a great way for firms to help improve the CPA pipeline but also encourage diverse students to consider the profession. 

“We’re not going to fix [the pipeline] problem by whining that no one’s going into public practice,” George said. “We need to get in as early as we can and build a quality pipeline.” 

How to begin 

If you’re interested in implementing HQWBL at your firm, review the information from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). You can also email VDOE Work-Based Learning Specialist Kimberly Radford. To begin implementing a program, you will connect with a work-based learning coordinator to prepare a training program, discuss performance evaluations, and more. 

In addition, George is happy to talk to other firm leaders about his experience and answer any questions. You can contact him at [email protected]. Also, check out all our efforts to strengthen the future of the profession.