Early in July, CIPFA staff spent a day at the Treasury to meet this year’s 2016 graduate intake for the government’s Fast Stream into the GFP (Government Finance Profession).
The group of graduates, over 50 in total, spent a ‘Discovery Day’ meeting and hearing from senior civil servants about working in central government, understanding where placements are within the range of Government departments – and what their choices are in terms of professional accountancy qualifications.
CIPFA colleagues were joined by their peers at CIMA, ICAEW and ACCA, with each of the Institutes providing a flavour of the respective accountancy qualifications and career opportunities, to help guide the prospective students in their choice of Institute and professional qualification.
New careers brochure - where will your career take you?
As part of the day, CIPFA produced a new careers brochure, outlining the particular relevance of the CIPFA PQ to the work of central government.
Download the careers brochure (PDF, 1.6MB)
In his opening statement Rob Whiteman, Chief Executive of CIPFA, welcomed the graduates and congratulated them in joining one of the most important professions in the heart of government.
He also said: "You have been given a huge opportunity to develop and support policy that has a direct impact on the lives of people in the UK and beyond, helping to shape the future landscape for everyone. You are entering Government service at a time of unprecedented change as we prepare to leave the European Union – your skills and abilities will be incredibly important as we engage with global partners in a different way."
The careers brochure outlined some practical insights and offered inspiration to the Fast Stream graduates, from a few of CIPFA’s well-known and highly-respected members – all of whom were former CIPFA students.
Contributions came from CIPFA members working in public finance, both inside and outside of the public sector and from far flung places across the globe.
The stories offer an illuminating look at the variety of careers and locations available to qualified CPFAs – and a wonderful reflection of CIPFA members’ passion for public service.
If you’re a qualified CPFA, working in central government and with a story to tell, we’d love to hear from you, so we can continue to reflect the work of our members, and what is best about CIPFA.
Please drop us an email to E: customerservices@cipfa.org and we’ll connect you with the right person.