With more than six in 10 young people worried that a lack of work experience could harm their future job prospects, the accountancy profession must do more to remove barriers to early career opportunities.

With demand for accounting talent on the rise, the accountancy sector needs to take action, not just for the next generation, but for the future strength of the profession. 

A recent AAT survey asked young people about their career prospects and the findings were sobering. A significant 62% said they were worried that a lack of work experience will harm their job opportunities. These concerns are entirely valid.

Work experience plays a vital role in bridging the gap between classroom learning and career confidence. It provides the hands-on insight, soft skills and workplace behaviours that employers increasingly expect, as well as a confidence that can only be achieved through personal experience. 

Yet far too many young people are locked out of these early career experiences simply because they do not have access to opportunities, funds needed, or the right connections to help secure them. That is a clear barrier to social mobility, and one we are determined to break down. 

The critical issues

There are two critical issues here: a shortage of placements, and the practical challenges that prevent many from taking part, even when opportunities are available. Our research showed that nearly half (41%) of young people have less than £8 a day to cover costs associated with work experience like travel, lunch and suitable clothing.  

And while 40% of employers host work experience candidates in greater London, only 31% of young people live there, creating a regional divide.

With opportunities concentrated in bigger cities, those in rural areas or less connected regions are being left behind, not for lack of ability, but for lack of access. 

The result? A talent pool full of potential, but unable to gain a foothold in the careers they aspire to. 

This should concern us all; particularly in accountancy and finance, where the need for new talent is growing in urgency. Accounting and finance technicians are among the top 10 roles identified by Skills England as facing high demand in the years ahead. Unless we invest in a broader, more inclusive talent pipeline, that gap is only going to grow. 

Work experience reimagined

That’s why work experience matters. It is part of helping young people put the pieces of their future career puzzle together. Not only this, but work experience candidates can also offer welcomed and timely support to businesses too.  

But the sector needs to reimagine what it looks like. It must be flexible, inclusive, and designed with the realities of young people’s lives in mind. One powerful solution lies in virtual work experience. 

The recently launched AAT virtual work experience programme was created to remove some of the barriers for young people. It offers an introduction to the world of accounting and bookkeeping, opportunities to develop real-world skills, and insights from those already working in the sector. 

Virtual experiences are not a one-size-fits-all fix, and these virtual placements should not fully replace the in-person experience, but they are a valuable piece of the puzzle.

Two-thirds (67%) of young people told us that virtual placements feel more accessible, and 72% said they allow them to apply for opportunities beyond their local area. This flexibility helps level the playing field, particularly for those who cannot afford daily travel or live far from central city locations. 

Virtual placements are a powerful way to start and another step towards a more inclusive profession. Done well, they give employers more flexibility and help young people gain vital experience and transferable skills without financial or geographic limits. 

Education to meaningful employment

With World Youth Skills Day taking place this month, it is a timely reminder that investing in young people’s skills is not just a moral imperative, it is essential to the future health of our profession.

It is an opportunity to celebrate the power of skills development and reflect on what more we can do to help young people move from education into meaningful employment. 

As one of our apprentices, Laura Watson, shared: ‘Doing work experience online helped me realise there was a path for me outside of university. It opened the door for me. Without it, I wouldn’t have understood the career opportunities within accounting and finance that were available.’  

The benefits of widening access go far beyond individual learners. When we diversify the talent entering accountancy and finance, we strengthen the profession. We gain new perspectives, close skills gaps, and build organisations that better reflect the communities we serve. 

Employers and organisations across the accountancy and finance sector need to offer more accessible, inclusive work experience opportunities. Whether virtual or in-person, short or sustained, these experiences are a crucial bridge between education and employment. They also offer businesses the chance to engage with future talent early, shape their development, and help close the growing skills gap. When we support the next generation, we all benefit: learners, employers and society alike. 

For further information, please visit AAT

About the author

Sarah Beale is CEO of AAT, the Association of Accounting Technicians