The Institute of Certified Public Accountants Ireland (CPA Ireland) has warned that Ireland is facing a growing shortage of professional accountants.
   
CPA Ireland claim that prior to the crash in 2008 more than 4,800 students were registered across all the accountancy Institutes. However, reflecting the dramatic downturn in the economy many students emigrated or opted for a different career path and by 2012 there were just 2,970 students entering the market for a professional accounting qualification. 

Although slowly increasing, new students remain 27% below pre-recession levels. CPA now estimates a shortfall of almost 15,000 trainees over the last decade among all professional institutes.
   
The group warns that students enrolling in the profession “fell off the cliff” during the recession and have not recovered despite the wealth of opportunities for newly qualified accountants.  
   
Speaking at the conferring of new CPA accountants, President of CPA Ireland, Deirdre Kiely said, "I am delighted to say that we continue to see full employment among newly conferred CPAs, reflecting the strong reputation among employers for the CPA qualification. The demand for accountants reflects the continued growth in the economy and has reached new heights with employers telling us they are now finding it increasingly difficult to fill vacant positions."
 
She added, "With fantastic career opportunities and continued strong demand for qualified accountants, I would encourage leaving certificate and undergraduate students to seriously consider a career in accountancy.  It is a valuable and flexible qualification, providing many career paths and one that opens many of doors both nationally and internationally. An accountancy qualification is a forward facing profession and provides the flexibility to deliver varied and interesting career paths to all those who pursue it."

Source: www.businessworld.ie