UToledo to Co-Host Accounting Camp for Underrepresented High School Students
July 12, 2021 | John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation News
By John Anderson III
The University of Toledo’s John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation will co-host a Careers in Professional Accounting (CPA) Camp on July 13th from 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
CPA Camp is a virtual, all-expenses-paid experience for students interested in exploring careers in accounting and business. The free event is made possible by the generous support of The Ohio CPA Foundation and other local sponsors.
This innovative career development program is designed specifically for underrepresented high school students including, but not limited, to those who identify as having a disability, LGBTQ+, students of color and the first in their family to attend college.
Participants will receive a DoorDash gift card for lunch during the program, and the first 50 registrants will receive a UToledo gift bag. They will also have an opportunity to win a $500 scholarship.
“The CPA camp will provide an opportunity to expose underrepresented minority students to the accounting profession,” said Dr. Dana Hollie, Alan Barry Endowed Professor of Accounting. “We hope the participants will see that the accounting profession offers vast opportunities in the workforce.”
During the camp, attendees will learn about what accounting is all about, the different job prospects and possible salaries within the accounting field and what a typical day in public and corporate accounting look like.
The CPA Camp will also address collegiate aspects of accounting, including how to prepare for college, how and where to search for scholarships and what it is like to study accounting at The University of Toledo.
“Companies with employees of different ethnicities who can work with a culturally diverse client base position themselves for success,” said Dr. Hollie. “Accordingly, companies have been realizing that a diverse workforce is essential. The current issue is firms are unable to find diverse candidates. For example, when the National Association of Black Accountants was founded in 1969, less than 1% of all certified public accountants in the United States were black. Fifty years later, only 2% are black. Hispanics account for about 3% and Native Americans less than .1%.”
“As a result, you can see the need to expose and educate students from underrepresented populations to meet the demand within the profession. We are hoping that the participants in this year’s CPA Camp will see that there are so many facets to accounting beyond the stereotypical bean counting image some may perceive.”
