
ISCA Launches $2 Million Career Support Programme to Help Jobseekers Pivot into 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:
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.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Zoom Communications lifts annual forecasts on robust demand for AI tools
(Reuters) -Zoom Communications raised its annual revenue and profit forecasts on Thursday, banking on hybrid work trends and the integration of artificial intelligence technology into its products, sending its shares up 4.5% in extended trading. The integration of AI across its product line and the broadening of its service portfolio have helped Zoom sustain growth in its core video-conferencing offering, while enabling it to enter and scale in new markets. The company in June introduced its Virtual Agent 2.0, which can autonomously complete complex tasks such as processing returns, updating accounts or booking appointments, powered by agentic AI. Zoom also launched a slew of new agentic AI capabilities in July, including a Custom AI Companion add-on that enables small business owners to leverage AI Companion across third-party video conferencing platforms such as Google Meet. During pandemic-induced lockdowns, the company had witnessed a rapid growth in users and subscribers as organizations turned to online video-conferencing platforms. Zoom now expects fiscal 2026 revenue between $4.83 billion and $4.84 billion, above its earlier projection of $4.80 billion to $4.81 billion. It forecast annual adjusted profit per share between $5.81 and $5.84, compared with a prior view of $5.56 and $5.59. The company's third-quarter revenue forecast range of $1.21 billion to $1.22 billion was above analysts' average estimate of $1.21 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. Its revenue for the second quarter ended July 31 came in at $1.22 billion, beating estimates of $1.20 billion. Zoom earned $1.53 per share on an adjusted basis during the second quarter, topping analysts' expectations of $1.37. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Google Takes AI Search Worldwide With New Tools
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) is giving its search engine a global AI upgrade. The company said Thursday its AI Mode is expanding to 180 countries and territories, moving beyond early launches in the U.S., India and the U.K. It'll be in English first, with other languages promised soon, though no firm date was given. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 10 Warning Signs with ABBV. Is GOOG fairly valued? Test your thesis with our free DCF calculator. The big twist is sharing. Users can now tap a button to send AI-generated responses as links, letting friends pick up the thread, ask follow-ups and explore on their own. This can be particularly helpful for tasks you want to collaborate on, like planning a trip or a birthday party, Google explained in a blog post. Importantly, the sender can also delete shared links anytime. Google is also starting to give AI Mode more agency. It can already help snag restaurant reservations, with local service bookings and event tickets on the way. The push shows how seriously the company is baking AI into search as competition heats up with OpenAI and Perplexity. For investors, it's another sign of Google's strategy to defend its crown jewel. Shares eased 0.5% in premarket trading Thursday. Sign in to access your portfolio


Forbes
14 minutes ago
- Forbes
From AI Literacy To AI Agentification: How Higher Ed Must Adapt
When 92% of university students report using AI tools but only 36% receive any formal institutional training, we're witnessing a disconnect that could define the next generation of work. Students are experimenting with generative AI at unprecedented rates, but often without the frameworks, feedback, or professional application they'll need in their careers. This creates what an AI preparedness paradox. Students are learning to use tools like ChatGPT for quick answers but not necessarily to evaluate sources, check outputs, or apply AI responsibly in professional settings. According to a survey from the Digital Education Council, 58% of students reported they do not feel they have sufficient AI knowledge and skills, and 48% said they do not feel adequately prepared for an AI‑enabled workplace. The cost of this gap is already measurable. According to PwC, 40% of the workforce will require reskilling within three years. Workers with AI skills now earn up to 56% more than their peers. This same report shows that job postings on LinkedIn requiring AI skills have increased by 7.5% year-over-year, even as total job postings decline by double digits, partially due to the agentification of the workforce. Given the introduction of agents in the workforce, AI is no longer just a tool waiting for prompts; it is evolving into a complex series of specialized workflows that perform defined roles—grader, recruiter, analyst, reviewer. This shift is already visible in industry, where companies are embedding role-based AI systems into everyday workflows. The risk is that students who only learn AI as a shortcut, rather than as a collaborative partner, will graduate unprepared for workplaces where agentic systems are the norm. Two announcements this month, however, suggest potential solutions that will close this gap. The first announcement was Grammarly's launch of nine student-focused AI agents. The second is the University of Hawaii's partnership with Google Cloud to build an AI-powered career pathways platform. These initiatives show how education and technology companies can collaborate to build AI literacy while strengthening workforce pipelines. Grammarly's Agents: Teaching Skills Employers Value Grammarly's new student-specific AI agents, which debuted August 18, introduces context-aware partners that reinforce both academic integrity and professional readiness in educational settings. Here are the agents that the company has introduced: By embedding these agents in Grammarly Docs, a dedicated writing workspace, the company shifts AI from being a shortcut into a learning partner. These developments are part of a larger trend: the agentification of the workforce. Where early AI tools functioned as passive assistants—waiting for users to craft the right prompts—agentic systems are now taking on defined roles, from 'grader' to 'career counselor.' In education, this means AI is no longer just correcting grammar or crunching data; it is stepping into structured, domain-specific functions that mirror the professional tasks students will encounter in the workplace. For institutions, this is both an opportunity and a warning. The same shift is unfolding in industry, where companies are deploying specialized agents for HR screening, compliance, marketing analysis, and customer engagement. Students who learn to collaborate with these agents in school will be far better prepared to thrive in workplaces where agentification is fast becoming the norm. Hawaii's Brain Drain Meets An AI-Powered Solution If Grammarly addresses the micro-level of student skill-building, the University of Hawaii System is working at the macro level to retain talent in a state that has long struggled with 'brain drain.' More than half of Hawaii's bachelor's degree holders leave the state for mainland opportunities, according to UH data, with the number climbing to nearly two-thirds among graduate degree holders. The causes are complex, but a lack of accessible career pathways is a major driver. The new Hawaii Career Pathways platform, developed with Google Cloud, uses Vertex AI and BigQuery to analyze student skills, prior coursework, and career interests. The system then matches students with local job opportunities and provides personalized guidance through Gemini AI. This approach serves multiple goals simultaneously. The platform demonstrates how students can apply their academic learning connects directly to real opportunities in Hawaii. In addition, employers gain visibility into emerging talent pools. Finally, the state gains a tool to strengthen its workforce pipeline, reduce outmigration, and preserve cultural and economic vitality. The initiative also prioritizes inclusion. By using Google Translate, the platform supports Pacific Islander students in their native languages—a recognition that equity in AI readiness is critical for regions with diverse demographics. Hawaii's initiative is part of a growing recognition that talent retention is a competitive asset in the AI economy. States like Michigan and Colorado are already investing in retention bonuses and career alignment programs. UH's use of AI to directly link students to employers could provide a model for other regions facing similar outmigration challenges. A Blueprint For Workforce-Ready Education What unites Grammarly's and UH's initiatives is not just the adoption of new tools, but a response to a deeper shift: the agentification of work. Across industries, AI is no longer a passive assistant—it is taking on defined roles, from 'grader' to 'career counselor' to 'market analyst.' The real challenge for higher education is ensuring that students learn to collaborate with these systems rather than graduate unprepared into workplaces already transformed by them. At the individual level, Grammarly's agents demonstrate how role-based AI can become a learning partner, teaching critical thinking, communication, and ethical reasoning—the same competencies employers now expect students to apply in professional contexts. At the institutional level, the University of Hawaii's pathways platform shows how agentic systems can close the 'last mile' between academic achievement and workforce demand, continuously matching skills with opportunities and reducing talent flight. At the system level, the blueprint extends even further. Institutions need to build their own agentic capabilities—AI systems that track labor market trends, monitor graduate outcomes, and adjust curricula in real time. Rather than reacting to disruption, universities can become proactive engines of workforce readiness. To thrive in an agentified economy, institutions must embed role-based AI into the student experience and build institutional agents that align education with evolving market realities. Those who move first will not only graduate AI-fluent students but also strengthen their regions with talent that is resilient, adaptable, and prepared for a future of continuous change. In other words, the next frontier isn't only teaching students to use agents; it's empowering institutions themselves to act agentically—deploying AI systems that integrate workforce analytics, curriculum design, and career services into a living feedback loop. Institutions that take this step will be able to move from reactive to proactive, ensuring their graduates stay employable at the point of graduation and resilient as the future of work evolves.