The accounting profession is currently facing a dual challenge that threatens the longevity and efficiency of firms worldwide: A continuous talent shortage and a widening skills gap. While it is well documented that fewer graduates are entering the field, those who do arrive often lack the specific technical and advisory capabilities required by modern practices.
“Whether you’re a firm of five or 500, you’ve likely felt the talent shortage gripping the accounting profession,” said Jaclyn Anku, principal program manager at Intuit. “To address this, we launched the Intuit ProAdvisor Student Mentorship Program, a cornerstone of our broader Accountant Skilling Initiative. This program was created to redefine the journey from the classroom to the conference room by ensuring students are not just degree holders, but future-ready professionals.”
Addressing the talent shortage and the widening skills gap
For years, the profession has relied on a traditional educational model that prioritizes foundational GAAP and tax accounting. While these remain essential, today’s market demands a different set of skills; including technological fluency, strong communication, and the ability to interpret the narratives behind the numbers.
“We found that 50% of hiring managers believe recent graduates are unprepared for the workforce,” said Anku. ”That disconnect often begins before a graduate even starts their first job, but fixing the talent shortage isn’t just about attracting more students to the profession; it’s about ensuring they’re prepared for the jobs that actually exist today.”
ProAdvisors have frequently reported that hiring new graduates necessitates training them from scratch because their academic preparation does not align with the automated, advisory-heavy reality of firms that have evolved to serve their clients in great capacities. As automation continues to handle the repetitive tasks that once defined entry-level roles, the need for students to step immediately into strategic partner roles has become more urgent.
A bold new approach to accounting education at Utah Valley University
The idea for the mentorship program actually began in a classroom at Utah Valley University (UVU) in spring 2025. Professor David Waite, along with ProAdvisors Brittany Brown and Dan Luthi, pioneered the UVU Small Business Accounting program. Their goal was to transform how accounting is taught, moving away from a curriculum strictly defined by tax and audit toward one focused on what clients truly want: more advisory services.
This pilot course, supported by ProAdvisor Academy, integrated three pillars: mentorship, professional guest lectures, and hands-on training using real-world scenarios. To pass the course, students were required to obtain their Intuit Bookkeeping and QuickBooks Online Level 1 Certifications. This ensured they possessed verified technical proficiency before entering the job market. The success of this pilot provided the blueprint for what is now the ProAdvisor Student Mentorship Program, proving that bridging the gap between theory and practice is possible through intentional collaboration between educators and practitioners.
These efforts are also part of Intuit for Education, a free, personal, and financial education program focused on helping today’s generation learn personal and entrepreneurial finance. Intuit for Education brings a connection to institutions, education organizations, and partners in the education profession.
Connecting classroom instruction to modern practice through Intuit Connect
Building on the success at UVU, the mentorship program expanded to include Ensign College. The program is specifically designed for students ages 21 and older who demonstrate technical proficiency by passing their ProAdvisor certifications and expressed a clear interest in pursuing advisory.
In late 2025, five selected students were invited to Las Vegas to attend Intuit Connect. Before arriving, students participated in:
- Orientation calls and community-building exercises.
- Workbook assignments and reflection pieces.
- Informational interviews with firm leaders to prepare them for professional networking.
At the event, these students engaged with leading ProAdvisor firms, attended keynotes on industry innovation, and participated in breakout sessions. This exposure allowed them to see first hand how automation and AI are being used to streamline workflows, allowing accountants to focus on high-value advisory work.
“We want to equip aspiring accounting professionals with real-world training, while connecting them with firm leaders and practitioners who can guide them from the classroom to the conference room,” said Anku.
Redefining the narrative of a career in accounting
One of the most significant hurdles in attracting new talent is changing the perception of accounting as a dynamic profession. The Mentorship Program wants to change this narrative by showcasing the diversity of career paths. For example, Lin Wang from Ensign College shared that meeting a nonprofit accounting founder at Intuit Connect expanded her view of what was possible, allowing her to see how she could align her personal passions with a meaningful career path.
Firm leaders have been equally impressed by the caliber of students produced by this initiative.
“The students were not intimidated by technology,” said Roman Villard, founder of Full Send and a member of the Intuit Partner Council. “Instead, they were excited by it and were already thinking like advisors.”
Anku emphasizes that this shift is essential for lasting change. “If we want lasting change, we need to take an active role in redefining what it means to be an accountant and ensuring the next generation sees this profession for what it truly is: dynamic, impactful, and full of opportunity.”
The goal: 1 million future-ready professionals
The mentorship program is a vital component of Intuit’s new, broader Career Pipeline Program, which operates on a three-fold strategy: Attract, Upskill, and Connect.
- Attract: Reaching out to students through social media, influencers, campus associations, and influential educators who act as “force multipliers.”
- Upskill: Providing free certifications to ensure students have the technical tools they need.
- Connect: Partnering with CPA state societies, professional groups, and platforms such as Coursera to link students with the industry.
The overarching ambition of the Career Pipeline Program is “bold”: to create a pipeline of 1 million certified, future-ready accounting professionals over the next five years. This program reflects Intuit’s mission to power prosperity by supporting the profession at every stage, from the student exploring their first niche to the established firm looking for its next strategic hire.
How the accounting community can shape the future
The journey to modernize accounting education is an ongoing process that requires the participation of the entire professional community. Intuit is actively calling on educators, firm leaders, and ProAdvisors to join these efforts. Whether through curriculum integration, local university outreach, or direct mentorship, the contributions of current professionals are seen as transformative.
“The Mentorship Program has shown us that it’s possible to cultivate talent that is technically prepared, professionally motivated, and ready to hit the ground running,” said Anku. “By bridging the gap between traditional education and modern practice, the program ensures that the next generation of accountants is equipped to handle a profession that looks very different than it did two decades ago.”
To further this mission, Intuit is hosting free webinars, such as “Career Lab: Skills for the New Era of Accounting,” February 3 and 4, 2026. These sessions are designed to open students’ eyes to the potential of a tech-forward accounting career and provide firms with the insights needed to foster an environment where new talent can thrive. Together, these efforts aim to ensure that the profession remains a vibrant, essential part of the global economy, powered by leaders who are ready for the challenges of tomorrow.
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