The AICPA has launched the Profession Ready Initiative, a research-driven effort aimed at redefining how early-career CPAs are prepared for an accounting profession that is increasingly shaped by AI and changing client demands. Announced in late January, the initiative is designed to identify the skills new CPAs need to succeed and to provide employers and educators with clearer frameworks for developing talent in a rapidly evolving workplace.  

According to the AICPA, the initiative responds to growing concerns that traditional education a nd training models are no longer fully aligned with the realities of modern practice. “We need to understand what it will take for the next generation of CPAs to thrive in an increasingly complex business world,” said Susan Coffey, CPA, CGMA, CEO of Public Accounting at the AICPA. She added that both emerging professionals and their employers “want and need support to navigate this transformation successfully.” 

The research, led by SkillEdge, will examine early-career CPA roles, required competencies, and gaps between academic preparation and workplace expectations. It will focus on two key career stages, entry-level professionals and CPAs with roughly four years of experience, while also looking ahead to how skill needs may evolve through 2030. 

Throughout 2026, the AICPA plans to engage practitioners, employers, and educators through surveys and focus groups to inform a skill framework, new learning solutions, and teaching resources. “This initiative is grounded in research, listening and input,” said Lindsay Stevenson,  CPA, CGMA, chief strategy officer for BPM LLP and Chair of the Profession Ready Initiative Advisory Group, emphasizing the profession-wide scope of the effort.