The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has launched a new approach to ethics in its latest innovation to the top level of the qualification.
ACCA’s new Ethics and Professional Skills module focuses on developing vitally important ethical behaviour and judgement to ensure finance professionals are equipped with the skills needed to support exam success at Strategic Professional level.
ACCA were the first to introduce a compulsory ethics module in 2007. The new module revisions ensure all members have the broader ethics, communication, commercial, innovation, analysis and evaluation skill score to membership and essential for shaping the future of business.
Helen Brand OBE, chief executive of ACCA said ‘We know from the Professional Accountants- The Future research that the world of professional accountants is changing. We’ve redesigned this module to better ensure finance professionals are equipped with the professional skills needed by employers that enable them to meet the challenges of the 21st century’s disruptive economy.
‘The new Ethics and Professional Skills module ensures that ethics still have their place at the heart of our qualification. Through developing and demonstrating a high standard of ethical and professional behaviours alongside the strategic and technical expertise acquired through passing the ACCA exams, ACCA professional accountants will be able to make an immediate impact in their workplace.’
Speaking at the Ghana Launch of the Ethics and Professional Skills module, Head of ACCA Ghana, Doris Ahiati said “this is ACCA’s new and innovative way of training people to develop the skills they need whilst also becoming ethical and professional accountants. The module is interactive throughout and takes students on a journey where they learn and then have to put what they learn into practice.”
According to her, “they will carry out gap analyses and create action plans to ensure their development is right for them. It is a lifelong learning and they can return to the module any time in their careers to refresh the skills as needed. The learning is through various media including videos, outside references, interactive learning, creation of presentations and so on”.
The Ethics and Professional Skills module develops skills in leadership, negotiation, conflict management, thinking commercially and skepticism development integrated with realistic business situations to improve employability and career success.
The current Professional Ethics module will be available until 30 October 2017 and replaced by the new Ethics and Professional Skills module on 31 October 2017.
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Credit: ACCA