Female graduates looking forward to joining the finance and accounting sector will be pleased to hear that it’s been found to be the perfect choice for aspiring female CEOs.
A new report from Robert Half UK found that 64% of UK finance directors believe there are now more opportunities for women to be promoted in their finance and accounting roles than there were 10 years ago.
Aspiring female accountants
Meanwhile, a further 87% have said that women now have a better chance of landing the Chief Executive role than ever before.
Furthermore, a report by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) revealed that female students in the accountancy profession have remained the same between 2010 and 2014, at 50%. However, the number of female qualified accountants is just 36% – ultimately suggesting that while there are equal numbers studying the profession at university, more men remain within the sector.
However, this figure has increased from 34% in 2010 to 36% in 2014, which is great news for aspiring female accountants.
Interestingly, female finance chiefs remain a little more positive than their male counterparts about the opportunities for women to progress in the industry. In fact, 67% of finance directors believe there are more opportunities than there were 10 years ago, compared to 61% of men.
A positive view
A further 92% of female finance directors also believe that women have a great chance of becoming board members – compared to 83% of men.
Meanwhile, finance directors in London and the South East were also found to be more positive about the opportunities for female graduates, with 75% saying they believe women have a better chance of making their way up the career ladder in accounting; compared to 65% in the South West and Wales, 65% in the north of England and 60% in the Midlands.
Phil Sheridan, Managing Director at Robert Half UK, said that firms should be creating a diverse talent pool and this means creating more career opportunities for women in the finance sector.
This change won’t only improve career prospects for women, but the whole economy, he added.
For graduate roles in finance and accounting contact Discovery Graduates today!
