SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 20 January 2025 - The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) will be setting aside up to $6 million in associated costs and subsidies to launch the Polytechnic Pathway Programme (PPP), specially curated for all local polytechnic graduates who embark on the Singapore Chartered Accountant Qualification (SCAQ) programme after completing their diplomas. The newly-minted programme is in line with recommendations by the Accountancy Workforce Review Committee, announced in May 2023, to ensure a sustainable pipeline of high-quality accountancy talent.

Under the PPP, polytechnic graduates from full-time Pre-Employment Training Diplomas who sign up for the SCAQ Foundation Programme (FP) will receive a sponsorship of SCAQ-related fees and learning support from ISCA for a period of two years after graduation. The PPP will also allow polytechnic students to enrol as ISCA student members and gain access to SCAQ learning resources. Students from all local polytechnics in Singapore are eligible for the programme regardless of the diploma they hold, and ISCA aims to attract students across various non-accountancy disciplines, such as business, information technology, and even design and media.

This initiative builds on the success of ISCA's Accelerated Pathway Programme (APP), which was launched in April 2024 to offer university students studying accountancy a dedicated route to becoming a Chartered Accountant of Singapore. Since the expansion of the SCAQ in November 2023 to include non-accountancy diploma holders, ISCA has seen a twofold increase in the number of polytechnic graduates enrolling for the SCAQ, including graduates who held non-accountancy diplomas. Presently, ISCA has over 110 polytechnic graduates currently enrolled in the SCAQ FP, which comprises around 11% of the total SCAQ FP candidature pool. This number is projected to increase, especially with the launch of the PPP and other student outreach efforts that ISCA will scale up over the next few years.

In addition, ISCA will be establishing Campus Enterprise Hubs across six polytechnics and universities by end-January 2025. These hubs are dedicated spaces which aim to provide an avenue for students to engage with ISCA and ISCA's wide network of Accredited Training Organisations and Professional Accountancy Hub member organisations[1], collectively bringing together over 520 employers and 3.6 million members to connect with students. ISCA will also facilitate engagement sessions between students and employers, with the objective of cultivating a strong pool of talent for employers to tap on, and conversely helping students pursue internship and job opportunities. Earlier today, Member of Parliament and Chair of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Finance, Trade and Industry Mr Liang Eng Hwa and ISCA President Mr Teo Ser Luck opened ISCA's first Campus Enterprise Hub in Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP).

ISCA President, Mr Teo Ser Luck, said: "All our diploma holders who completed the SCAQ are fully employed. This speaks volumes for both the SCAQ and the value of polytechnic education in Singapore. We are pleased to expand our SCAQ support to polytechnic graduates on their journey to become a Chartered Accountant and cultivate accountancy as a study of choice here in Singapore."

Mr Lim Kok Kiang, Principal & CEO of Ngee Ann Polytechnic, said: "We are pleased to welcome the launch of ISCA's Polytechnic Pathway Programme and the opening of ISCA's Campus Enterprise Hub in NP. Besides enhancing the education and career opportunities for polytechnic students in the accountancy field, these initiatives will encourage more students trained in different fields to explore a career in this sector."