On the heels of a new joint initiative between the AICPA, NASBA and Tulane University designed to help facilitate the 150-hour requirement for CPA candidates, Princeton, N.J.-based IPA 100 firm Withum (FY23 net revenue of $519.8 million) has teamed up with Seton Hall University to launch its own version of the CPA Pathway Apprenticeship pilot program.
The new program gives students the opportunity to earn the extra credits needed to hold a CPA license upon passing the exam, gain first-hand public accounting work experience and receive compensation during their final year of school. Students in the program will be full-time apprentice-level team members at Withum, with an opportunity to work in all service lines and industries while earning credits for their curriculum-driven experience alongside university coursework to fulfill the remaining credits needed to reach the credits hour requirement to hold a CPA license. The students may also sit for the CPA exam during the program.
“The CPA Pathway Apprenticeship program is an exciting new venture that will benefit both the firm and the students,” says Withum chief talent officer Theresa Richardson. “By getting real-life experience as a team member at Withum, students will be that much further ahead of their peers as they approach the job market. And, by exposing new talent to our unique benefits and culture, we can jumpstart long-lasting careers right here.”
“The combination of a strong curriculum with excellent faculty members with the real world ‘work for credit’ experience on-site at Withum is an exemplary model that mutually benefits the students, industry partner and the broader accounting field,” adds Mary Kate Naatus, assistant provost and dean of continuing education and professional studies at Seton Hall.
