The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on November 21 signed an agreement at Bhubaneswar, Odisha. This partnership through its Committee on Career Counselling aims to promote commerce-based skill courses, specifically focusing on the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector, to enhance the employability and career prospects of students.

The collaboration will see ICAI providing its expertise in areas including course content, syllabus development, study materials, and training modules. Moreover, ICAI will actively engage in career guidance, enrichment activities, and participate in workshops and training sessions organised by CBSE.

The focus will be on sensitising both educators and students to the numerous career opportunities in accountancy and related fields, aligning education with the requirements of the ever-evolving job market.

Addressing the significance of the partnership, CA. Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal, president of ICAI, emphasised: “The signing of this MoU with the CBSE is a significant step towards enhancing the skill development ecosystem for students across the country. Through this collaboration, ICAI aims to promote commerce-based skill courses and ensure that students are equipped with relevant, industry-aligned competencies. This partnership reflects our commitment to bridging the gap between academic learning and professional requirements, and we are confident that it will open new avenues for students to pursue rewarding careers in accountancy and finance.”

As part of the collaboration, ICAI and CBSE will jointly conduct awareness programmes for school principals, teachers, and management teams of CBSE-affiliated schools nationwide. These programmes will highlight the importance of commerce-based skill courses under the BFSI sector and underscore their role in enhancing students’ career development. Additionally, CBSE will organise capacity-building initiatives to upskill teachers of commerce-related subjects, enabling them to effectively teach these specialized courses.

ICAI has already entered into 85 MoUs with various universities, colleges, and educational institutions to promote academic excellence, research, and knowledge exchange. These initiatives are aimed at creating a highly skilled workforce ready to meet the challenges of the modern economy, an ICAI statement issued in this regard said.