ACCA endorses ‘No Wrong Path’ campaign in Scotland

ACCA has shown its support for this year’s #NoWrongPath campaign in Scotland ahead of exam results day as it claims that, for some young people, it will “bring disappointment and worry about career plans”. 

In light of this, ACCA, which says it has a founding mission to “ensure the accountancy profession is accessible to everyone”, is urging young people to remember there’s “no wrong way to start a career in finance and accountancy”.  

In addition, the professional body has highlighted a range of starting points to becoming a qualified accountant, irrespective of school exam results, which includes foundation, modern and graduate apprenticeships in Scotland, alongside traditional work-while-study routes as well as self-study. 

Susan Love, strategic engagement lead for Scotland, said: “No matter your ambitions, we know that accountancy qualifications and the understanding of business they deliver, open doors to a wide range of employers. 

“We strive to ensure our qualifications are as accessible and flexible as possible because we know that many of our members have overcome a range of setbacks and disadvantages to carve out successful careers in finance, making a fantastic contribution to Scotland’s economy and society along the way.” 

She added: “The #NoWrongPath campaign is an opportunity for us to celebrate the success of our diverse membership and to offer support and reassurance to our future members.”

David Nicholl, ACCA member and partner at Brett Nicholls Associates, said: “Although I didn’t have a clear sense of what I wanted to do when I left school, I felt disappointed by my school exam results and I felt I lacked options. I envied people who knew what they wanted and set out to achieve it. 

“I started a course at university because in my circles and at that time a university degree was what most people did and it was expected. The subject wasn’t right for me but I had very few options – my heart wasn’t in it and in the end I dropped out at the end of first year.” 

He added: “After working for several years in an unfulfilling job, I decided to explore accountancy and was relieved to discover that it was still possible to qualify through the mature student entry route. By this time I was married and started a family the same year I began studying ACCA. Life was busy and studying in the evenings was a challenge, but it felt worthwhile and I knew I had an end goal to work towards. 

“I’d say to any young person that it doesn’t matter if you don’t know what you want to do, or if your plan takes a few wrong turns, because it’s never too late to find the career that’s right for you.”