Xero, the global small business platform and the Association ofChartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the global body for professional accountants, have extended their partnership to help future-proof Singapore’s next-generation of accounting professionals. The partnership will continue to support ACCA Singapore members and students in strengthening their digital expertise to meet accounting industry standards of the future, increasing employability and professional mobility in today’s digital-first world.

From August 2021, ACCA students and members in Singapore will be able to access Xero’s e-learning programme to attain Xero advisor certification. The interactive online course consists of six hours of learning modules, focusing on digital literacy and cloud accounting. Upon completion, students will be proficient in all core features of Xero, from setting up to bank reconciliation to reporting, and certified to advise their clients.

The programme will be piloted by 21 ACCA-affiliated strategic education partners in Singapore, who will offer their students the first opportunity to enrol for the Xero advisor certification.

According to ACCA’s global ‘The Digital Accountant’ report, 88% of ACCA members, affiliates, and students in Singapore agreed that digital skills were necessary in their industry, but only 54% felt they had the right level of digital skills for the role they perform. As more organisations embark on digital transformation, being qualified in using cloud accounting tools and having real-time access to financial data will help to up skill accountants to play a more advisory, customer-centric role.

Kevin Fitzgerald, Managing Director, Asia at Xero, said, “The expansion of our partnership withACCA represents our long-term commitment to the accounting community who play a crucial role in the Xero ecosystem. We are honoured to be selected by the ACCA to provide the cloud accounting training in Singapore, that will help support future generations of accountants and their practices. By harnessing the power of cloud technology, accountants will be able to deliver time-saving, data-driven value for their companies and clients.”

Maurice Cheong, Head of ACCA, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, added, “By acquiring cloud accounting skills, our members and students will future-proof their expertise and continue to raise industry standards to newer heights. We are thrilled to further develop this partnership with Xero and our joint efforts will continue to enhance Singapore’s accounting industry.”

Belinda Young, Chairwoman ACCA Singapore Network Panel commented: “Having personally experienced the value Xero has brought to ACCA members and students providing accounting services, I am now a big advocate of Xero advisor certification. With Xero’s cloud accounting software, accountants not only optimise their productivity, but it also improves commercial opportunities to provide well-informed advisory services for clients and thus elevating the profession for both budding and seasoned accounting practitioners. I strongly encourage embracing digital tools such as Xero to continue any digital transformation journey.”

ACCA Singapore and Xero’s collaboration began in 2016 to help small-and-medium practices digitise processes, introduce new service opportunities, and grow internationally. The extension of this partnership announced today follows a successful launch of the Xero advisor certification in2019 in the United Kingdom, where close to 20,000 students have enrolled and received accreditation.

In June 2021, Xero was named the 2021 Asia-Pacific small and medium enterprise (SME)Accounting Software Vendor of the Year by global research and consulting firm, Frost & Sullivan, inits 2021 Best Practices Awards. The awards celebrate best-in-class companies that have accomplished innovative or disruptive breakthroughs in their industries and continually demonstrate excellence.

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