logo

ISCA Launches $2 Million Career Support Programme to Help Jobseekers Pivot into Accountancy Profession

Zawyaa day ago
SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 19 August 2025 - With the demand for accountancy and finance professionals growing amid Singapore's transition to a digital and sustainable economy, the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) today launched a $2 million Career Support Programme to help jobseekers and mid-career individuals pivot confidently into the accountancy profession.
Unveiled by Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Finance and National Development at ISCA's Annual Dinner, the initiative is designed to provide both practical career support and financial relief at a time when many Singaporeans are seeking to reskill and future-proof their careers.
Developed in partnership with the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) and Workforce Singapore (WSG), the Career Support Programme includes:
Professional Affiliation & Recognition – Eligible jobseekers will enjoy ISCA membership fee waivers, gain recognition through ISCA credentials, and access structured pathways to professional designations.
Learning & Upskilling Support – Complimentary networking events, talks, and e-learning via ISCAccountify, alongside a "Skills First, Pay Later" scheme that lets participants train first and only pay when they secure employment.
AI-enabled ISCA Talent Marketplace – As the programme's centrepiece, this platform connects jobseekers with employers, conducts personalised skills-gap analyses, and provides tailored recommendations for next career steps. Since its soft launch in July, the platform has featured over 100 job postings by 28 employers, and over 150 job profiles created by jobseekers. The roles range from sustainability, AI consultancy to business finance and traditional accountancy roles.
Accountancy careers continue to experience sustained demand and the diversity of roles across industries offer opportunities for professionals who are open to upskill and expand their skillsets or even do a career switch. Professionals from general administration, customer care, engineering and equity investment who have leveraged WSG's Career Conversion Programmes have successfully pivoted to assurance and financial accounting roles.
Ms Dilys Boey, Chief Executive, WSG, said: "The ISCA Career Support Programme offers a robust platform that guides individuals into accountancy careers. The synergy between WSG's career advisory services and ISCA's AI-enabled Talent Marketplace as well as industry expertise creates more opportunities for Singaporeans to join the sector at any career stage. This partnership not only enhances employment outcomes but also makes accountancy a more accessible career choice for all. Together with ISCA, we're committed to helping Singaporeans discover and pursue meaningful careers whilst enabling companies to fulfil their talent requirements."
The Career Support Programme will also prepare professionals for the impact of AI on jobs. According to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, global macro trends will create about 170 million new jobs this decade while displacing 92 million roles. Technological skills, especially AI and big data, are projected to grow in importance more rapidly than any other skills in the next five years. In anticipation of these shifts, ISCA had committed $2 million to spearhead its AI for Accountancy Industry (AI for AI) initiative through a multi-pronged approach. Through research, education, and adoption, the initiative will support firms and accountants in effectively harnessing AI across audit, non-audit, and commercial sectors.
ISCA President Mr Teo Ser Luck said: "AI will fundamentally reshape the accountancy sector and fuel demand for accountants with new skills to thrive in the digital economy. The ISCA Career Support Programme reflects our strong commitment to the profession and its people. By providing resources, financial relief, and practical tools such as the AI-enabled ISCA Talent Marketplace, we aim to support individuals — whether they are new entrants to the profession or experienced accountants displaced by change — through skill-gap training and career opportunities. Our goal is to help them find their footing, stay relevant, and move forward with clarity and purpose."
Hashtag: #CareerSupportProgramme #CSP #Jobs #AI #Accountancy
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA)
The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) is the national accountancy body of Singapore with over 40,000 ISCA members making their stride in businesses across industries in Singapore and around the world. ISCA members can be found in over 40 countries and members based out of Singapore are supported through 12 overseas chapters in 10 countries.
Established in 1963, ISCA is an advocate of the interests of the profession. Complementing its global mindset with Asian insights, ISCA leverages its regional expertise, knowledge, and networks with diverse stakeholders to contribute towards the advancement of the accountancy profession.
ISCA administers the Singapore Chartered Accountant Qualification programme and is the Designated Entity to confer the Chartered Accountant of Singapore – CA (Singapore) – designation.
ISCA is a member of Chartered Accountants Worldwide, a global family that brings together the members of leading institutes to create a community of over 1.8 million Chartered Accountants and students in more than 190 countries.
For more information, visit www.isca.org.sg.
Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

China private equity secondary deals to surge on rising supply, cheaper valuations
China private equity secondary deals to surge on rising supply, cheaper valuations

Zawya

time2 hours ago

  • Zawya

China private equity secondary deals to surge on rising supply, cheaper valuations

HONG KONG - Secondary trades of private equity assets in China are poised to accelerate after a robust first half, with Canada's No.2 pension manager and a China-focused buyout fund among those looking to divest such assets worth potentially billions of dollars, sources said. A private equity (PE) secondary trade refers to the buying and selling of PE fund portfolios or their direct shareholdings in private companies, allowing investors to exit their positions outside the typical investment cycle. The steep discounts being offered by the selling funds are expected to attract buyers who have confidence in China's longer-term economic prospects, industry sources said. Many of the selling funds have to repay their own investors and are struggling to find trade buyers or float the assets on public markets due to economic headwinds and geopolitical risks. Canada's Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), for example, which stopped making PE investments in China two years ago, is considering selling about $2 billion worth of assets via secondary trades, most of which are from China, said two people. China-focused buyout fund CDH Investments is also aiming to raise a multi-asset continuation vehicle to allow some investors to cash out from its existing fund's portfolio, they said. A continuation fund is a new investment vehicle created by a PE firm to transfer holdings of some existing investments, which allows investors to maintain or exit their stakes in the assets. CDPQ declined to comment. A CDH spokesperson did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. The people, who are familiar with the matter, did not wish to be identified as the talks are confidential. A total of 731 secondary trades involving yuan-denominated funds were completed in the first half of 2025, hitting a record 77.3 billion yuan ($11 billion) and logging an 89% year-on-year growth, according to Chinese data provider ZERONE. Data for secondary trades involving U.S. dollar-denominated assets in China is not publicly available, industry sources said. It is a good time for investors who have a long-term view on China to buy quality assets on the cheap with reduced regulatory risks, global alternative asset investor LGT Capital Partners said in an industry insight white paper published in July. "We expect the majority of capital we are going to deploy in China in the short to medium term to be via secondaries," Doug Coulter, LGT's Hong Kong-based partner and co-head of Asia Pacific private equity, told Reuters. SWELLING SUPPLY LGT announced in June that it was the co-lead investor in continuation vehicles worth a total of $500 million for a portfolio of 13 assets managed by China-focused venture capital fund IDG Capital. LGT declined to disclose the discounts the assets were traded at. Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC also invested in IDG's continuation vehicles, primarily buying shares of social media company Bytedance, said the two people. GIC declined to comment. IDG did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. Globally, secondary market deals have also hit record volumes, reaching $103 billion in the first half, according to a report by investment bank Jefferies, as the lack of capital distribution from IPOs and M&A deals fuels supply. Quality China assets are being sold in the secondary market at 40%-50% discounts to net asset value (NAV), said Coulter. That compares with the roughly 10% to 20% discounts to NAV for U.S. assets in the secondary market, industry sources said. The improved market sentiment in China should be conducive to PE secondary deals, industry sources said. China's onshore benchmark CSI 300 is up 7% so far this year, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index is up 25%. "We believe the sentiment of investors about China has generally improved," said Mingchen Xia, managing director and co-head of Asia investments at investment management and advisory firm Hamilton Lane. He said that "the softened geopolitical tensions and largely settled tariff negotiations" by some major economies should give some comfort to investors.

Carlsberg Asia launches Digital Acceleration Program to drive future growth across Asia
Carlsberg Asia launches Digital Acceleration Program to drive future growth across Asia

Zawya

time2 hours ago

  • Zawya

Carlsberg Asia launches Digital Acceleration Program to drive future growth across Asia

New regional strategy deepens digital platform partnerships, and fuels innovation HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 20 August 2025 - A new chapter is underway at Carlsberg Asia, as the brand outlines a future-facing digital roadmap anchored in strategic collaborations with three of Asia's major O2O and quick commerce platforms – Meituan, Grab and Delivery Hero. The initiative comes at a pivotal time, as digital behaviours continue to transform how people discover, shop, and engage with brands. The Digital Acceleration Program aims to future-proof its commercial model, infuse AI and data into core operations, and redefine beer experiences for the next generation of consumers across the eight key Asia markets, and further expanding beyond. Building on a strong year of digital sales growth in 2024, underpinned by strategic MoU signings and multiple brand activations, the Program is designed to empower and integrate with digital partners while cementing Carlsberg's position as a leader in the beer industry. In the coming years, Carlsberg Asia aims to drive deeper use of data and insight from digital platforms to unlock beer consumption occasions in order to understand each target market's consumer behaviours, to broaden regional wide partnerships and enhance cross-markets synergy, and to accelerate online-to-offline commerce and further support brand's local penetration. "We see our digital partners not just as platforms, but as strategic growth engines," says Arindam Varanasi, Vice President, Commercial Asia, Carlsberg. "This is the boldest partnership at Carlsberg Asia to date. The success of our digital sales on e-commerce platforms last year is a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation. By joining forces with Meituan, Grab, and Delivery Hero, we are eager to deepen these partnerships to unlock mutual growth opportunities." "As we move forward with our Digital Acceleration Program, we are looking forward to continuously making our Carlsberg brands portfolio more relevant, to build a digitally connected ecosystem that enhances every touchpoint of the consumer journey from discovery to delivery, also to elevate consumer experiences through convenience and relevance while reinforcing our commitment to celebrating responsibly." says João Abecasis, Executive Vice President, Asia, Carlsberg. Immersive brand experiences to strengthen strategic digital partnerships To supercharge the collaborative alliances, Carlsberg Asia hosted a three-day strategic forum at its global headquarter in Copenhagen, welcoming executives from Meituan, Grab and Delivery Hero. The immersive experience at the Home of Carlsberg offered partners a behind-the-scenes look at the brand's heritage, brewing philosophy, and long-term growth vision. At the forum, digital partners engaged in closed-door top-to-top discussions with Carlsberg's senior executive team to align on growth strategies and new approaches to distribution across O2O channels. To expand digital growth opportunities from Asia to global, the forum focused on unlocking insight-driven, scalable commercial value through the utilisation of each partners' platform technology, data, and consumer insights to co-creating modern, consumer-centric experiences. From click to cheers: Taking beer moments to exciting new heights In partnership with Meituan, a new chapter is brewing in China, with long-term plans to co-create the next generation beer experience across cross-border markets. At the core of the partnership is to expand on series of initiatives that integrate with Meituan's ecosystem of advanced technology and consumer behavioural data that will deliver real-time, occasion-based beer experiences, such as 30-minute quick commerce delivery to personalised promotions and curated product selections. Meanwhile in Southeast Asia markets, Carlsberg and Grab strengthen the partnership with a focus on online to offline product distribution, always-on responsible drinking initiatives and driving brand awareness through direct consumer engagement with shared passion points such as football matches and music festivals via Grab's platform. The partnership aims to elevate on-trade experiences with partner restaurants by introducing dine-in reservation promotions and bundled deals. Carlsberg and Delivery Hero are teaming up to fully integrate Carlsberg's premium beer offering into Delivery Hero's dynamic delivery ecosystem. Through foodpanda and its pandamart grocery stores in Asia, this partnership bridges on-trade and off-trade channels to create a unified home-dining experience, complete with a chilled beer delivered to consumers' doorsteps. The shared vision is to make Carlsberg's product effortlessly accessible and create memorable occasions that celebrate the joy of food and drink. Looking ahead, the brands are committed to expanding this innovative partnership globally, bringing an elevated beer experience to consumers around the world. These immersive engagements underscore Carlsberg Asia's ambition to redefine its digital partnerships through innovation, collaboration, and a deep focus on the consumer. Stay tuned for future announcements about exciting campaigns and activations under each partnership. For more information, please visit: Hashtag: #CarlsbergAsia The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About Carlsberg Asia Established in 1847 by brewer J.C. Jacobsen, the Carlsberg Group is one of the leading brewery groups in the world, with an attractive portfolio of beer and other beverage brands. With over 37.000 employees, and with a presence in more than 125 markets, the Group has a purpose of brewing for a better today and tomorrow Doing business responsibly and sustainably supports that purpose – and drives the efforts to deliver value for shareholders and society. Carlsberg Asia is a dynamic and diverse region comprising of 8 operating markets: Cambodia, China, Hong Kong S.A.R., Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam. Altogether we have 34 breweries and some 12,000 employees spreading across the Asian markets. The Asia Regional Office is based in Hong Kong. Carlsberg Asia

Hong Leong Bank Wins Three Awards at Asian Banking & Finance Retail Banking Awards, Affirming its Transformative Journey Towards Becoming the Best Run Bank in Malaysia
Hong Leong Bank Wins Three Awards at Asian Banking & Finance Retail Banking Awards, Affirming its Transformative Journey Towards Becoming the Best Run Bank in Malaysia

Zawya

time2 hours ago

  • Zawya

Hong Leong Bank Wins Three Awards at Asian Banking & Finance Retail Banking Awards, Affirming its Transformative Journey Towards Becoming the Best Run Bank in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 20 August 2025 - Hong Leong Bank ("HLB" or the "Bank") has won awards in three coveted categories at the Asian Banking & Finance ("ABF") Retail Banking Awards 2025, a testament to the significant progress the Bank has made in its 5 year bankwide transformation journey. Best SME Bank in Malaysia: Driving Innovation and Accessibility for SME Customers A pivotal aspect of HLB's bankwide transformation and success story is its established leadership as a prominent SME bank. For the fourth consecutive year, HLB has been named the Best SME Bank in Malaysia by ABF. This recognition directly reflects the Bank's diverse product offerings, pioneering digital innovations, and personalized advisory services, all meticulously designed to cater to the varied needs of its customers. HLB's unwavering commitment to customer-centricity has translated into tangible success, with the Bank's SME loans and financing portfolios achieving an impressive 11.6% year-on-year ("y-o-y") growth, nearly double the industry average of 6.7%. This significant growth not only reinforces HLB's strong market position but also vividly demonstrates its dedication to providing a seamless banking experience through increased accessibility and convenience. The Bank achieves this through its extensive branch network, flexible out-of-branch account openings, and intuitive digital platforms, all serving as effective touchpoints to ensure a comprehensive and effortless banking journey for every customer. Domestic Cash Management Bank of the Year Continuing its strong performance within the corporate banking sector, HLB has also been recognized as the Domestic Cash Management Bank of the Year. This award underscores how the Bank empowers its corporate and financial institution clients with sophisticated cash management solutions that streamline operations and enhance financial control, further contributing towards HLB's bankwide transformation plan. By leveraging the Bank's real-time API integration, businesses can automate fund transfers to beneficiaries on a same-day basis, eliminating manual intervention and ensuring timely access to funds. The Bank's cash consolidation services also enable clients to streamline cash management by centralizing funds into a single account for better liquidity oversight and easier reconciliation. This comprehensive suite of services has led to the Bank consistently managing over 700 corporate clients with their cash management needs, boasting a remarkable 95.52% customer retention rate and over 99% utilization rate of its cash management platform. Digital Transformation of the Year: Revolutionizing Credit Collections with Innovative Solutions and Artificial Intelligence Aligned with its 5 year bankwide transformation plan, HLB has invested significantly in its digital capabilities, leading to the strategic implementation of AI, effective data management, and innovative digital banking solutions. This commitment to digital excellence culminated in the Bank winning the Digital Transformation of the Year award for its groundbreaking collections platform. Since 2018, HLB has embarked on a pervasive transformation journey within its Collections team, fundamentally reshaping the collections process with an industry-first, fully integrated, web-based collections platform. The platform provides the Bank with a 360-degree view of its customers, strengthened by real-time information sharing, a predictive dialing system, an AI humanized voice bot, and secured remote working capabilities. These innovations have resulted in a 47% surge in monthly call volume and allowed 20% of HLB's collections officers to be redeployed to higher-value tasks, showcasing the tangible benefits of this digital leap. HLB's 5 Year Bankwide Transformation Plan Kevin Lam, HLB's Group Managing Director and CEO, commented, "This isn't just about winning awards; it's about reimagining the way we do banking. Two years ago, we set out on our bankwide transformation plan, and these three accolades prove that we are on the right track. This vision has defined our operating cadence, where we have reevaluated existing structures, reimagined the customer journey, and unleashed a wave of innovation throughout the Bank that is redefining what we can be to our customers. Looking ahead, we strive to continue on our transformation journey, implementing digital innovations while preserving that human touch to ensure we provide an elevated banking experience for all our customers." For more information on HLB's business banking solutions, please visit: Hashtag: #HongLeong #HLBB The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About Hong Leong Bank Berhad Hong Leong Bank Berhad

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store