Future accountants wanted!
Future accountants wanted!
The shortage of accountants in Flanders has never been more acute. The VDAB received no fewer than 4,365 vacancies last year... for an average of 664 potential candidates every month. Eight accounting and consulting companies in our country joined forces and are launching the large-scale campaign 'Accountants Van Morgen'. This campaign should not only highlight the potential of the job, but also increase the amount of students who opt for accountancy. Seven Flemish colleges of higher education and adult education are already supporting the initiative.
Bottleneck profession par excellence
The numbers are clear: accountancy has been a bottleneck profession since 2019 and the job market in accounting remains under pressure. For example, for every open vacancy, there is only one job-seeking accountant available today, compared to still nearly five accountants per vacancy five years ago (www.vdab.be/trendsdoc/beroepen/index.html).
VDAB figures show a clear evolution with an ever-increasing demand for accountants (4,365 vacancies received in December 2022 vs 1,476 in December 2018) and an ever-decreasing supply of financial profiles (monthly average of 664 jobseekers in December 2022 vs 917 in December 2018). Even at the eight companies launching the campaign, some 300 vacancies are just not getting filled. SMEs in particular risk bearing the brunt of the scarcity of financial profiles, potentially jeopardising their good financial management over time.
Moreover, less and less young people are choosing to study accountancy - since 2020, the intake dropped by 20% at the colleges of higher education in Flanders. This limited intake will address the acute shortage of financial profiles in the labour market only increase, especially when you know that the business sector in Belgium aims to create some 40,000 new jobs in the next few years.
A campaign to turn the tide
Although it looks like accountancy will remain a bottleneck profession for some time to come, eight major accounting and consulting players are not sitting back. Baker Tilly, BDO, Decupere & Partners, Moore, SBB, Vandelanotte, Van Havermaet and VGD are taking matters into their own hands and are launching a campaign to make the profession attractive again: 'Accountants Van Morgen'.
Together with the sector, schools are also joining this initiative. The colleges UCLL, PXL, Vives, Odisee, Arteveldehogeschool, AP Hogeschool and HOGENT, together with training specialist SYNTRA, are making extra efforts to excite young people for a job with a future. On the campaign site www.accountantsvanmorgen.be you can read and share success stories, look at vacancies or search for courses within accountancy. In doing so, the initiators also want to get rid of the classic image of an accountant.
Ambassadors Bockie De Repper and sisters Nour & Fatma
No one better to inform and inspire young people than campaign ambassadors Bockie De Repper and sisters Nour & Fatma Daghbouj. They challenge the stereotypical image of the accountant in fun campaign images and personal videos about working with their own accountant.
Nour & Fatma: As content creators, we are comfortable with dance, acting, dressing and make-up. With that, a suitable accountant for advice is crucial. A good accountant not only contributes to our success, but also helps us achieve our dreams. Young people need to know that there are a lot of opportunities for them in a job that is really more interesting than they might think."
Education Minister Ben Weyts: "It remains a huge challenge to find sufficiently qualified profiles for bottleneck professions. In Flemish education, we are trying to respond to this in many ways, for example by strengthening adult education.
Too often, people still think of a cooking course or a photography course. With the Flemish Government, on the other hand, we are putting extra effort into courses that give access to jobs that are in short supply on the labour market, such as accounting.""Based on new professional qualifications, several new directions were added in recent years and we made a study at adult education more flexible by starting hybrid (online) teaching. Last year, we also invested an additional € 20 million in adult education, to focus specifically on distance learning, ICT-training and education for unqualified young people," said Flemish minister Weyts.
