On Tuesday 1 April, Salford Business School Accounting students, Ashray Rakesh and Huda Agham, visited Parliament alongside, Subject Head for Accounting, Fleur Middlebrough and Director of Accounting, Finance and Law, Dave Fallon.
The visit marked the launch of the Purpose Coalition project, Breaking Down Barriers to Accountancy, which is chaired by former Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities, Rt Hon Justine Greening. The project is in collaboration with 11 leading UK accountancy firms and is aimed at driving action to deliver equality of opportunity across the sector, with the event introducing it and a subsequent report to an audience of industry professionals, MPs and policymakers.
Leading up to the event, Dave and Fleur, joined a series of roundtable discussions focusing on four key areas: outreach, access, recruitment and progression, with participants sharing insight on best practices, as well as challenges they’re facing in the current climate.
On attending the event, second year student, Huda Agham, commented: “The visit to the House of Commons at Parliament was incredibly meaningful to me, especially as someone who grew up with limited social resources.
“Hearing leading firms acknowledge the barriers students like me face and actively commit to levelling the playing field was powerful. It showed that change is happening, and that students from all backgrounds are being seen, heard and empowered. The networking opportunities were also invaluable; speaking with high-level stakeholders helped me envision the kind of future I’d like to work towards.”
Ashray added: “Visiting the House of Commons was invaluable. As a student, I connected with leaders shaping the UK’s accountancy landscape. Their insights into national initiatives and real-world challenges provided not only inspiration, but also a deep understanding of how these efforts directly support student development.”
Several industry leaders were also in attendance, including AAB Group, Crowe UK and Price Bailey, among others, as well as multiple universities, alongside Salford.
On the experience, Subject Head for Accounting at Salford Business School, Fleur, said: “Not only was this a great opportunity to help shape and secure the future of the sector, but it was a valuable chance for our students to network with prospective employers, other institutions and their peers from across the UK.
“Salford is a leader in driving social mobility, so to collaborate with other likeminded organisations on this very same goal to increase opportunities for young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, who have previously been unable to gain exposure and insight into the accounting profession, was huge. We look forward to investigating how we can embed the recommendations from the report into our curriculum further.”