Professional development is an essential part of any tax and accounting professional’s career. Additionally, it is a great way to keep up with industry changes and expand skills in leadership, communication, and compliance. Employee development and training programs for tax and accounting professionals can accomplish both goals.
Top CPE solutions for tax and accounting
Large accounting firms and smaller practices can help team members achieve their CPE requirements and improve their skills through employee development programs. These 5 programs should be at the top of your firm’s list:
1. Online self-study courses
Accountants and tax professionals are busy, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have time to learn. Even after graduating from school and completing all the necessary professional exams, it’s still important to stay on top of changes within the profession or industry. Online self-study courses are one of the best ways to juggle work and learning. These courses are available on various topics and allow people to learn at their own pace and on their own time.
2. CPE training conferences
Professional conferences have long been a way for accounting and tax professionals to earn continuing education credits. Furthermore, in addition to learning about new and emerging trends, they allow professionals to network with colleagues in their industry. Most in-person conferences went virtual starting in 2020. While some have returned to in-person events, many still offer virtual conference options. This makes it easier for employees to attend the training, without all the travel costs normally associated with a conference.
3. Nano CPE courses
Sometimes employees just need a quick refresher or an overview of a topic, not an in-depth online course. Nano learning is a great way to expose employees to a variety of topics. These courses are short — just 10 to 15 minutes for most. They only cover the basics, but are inexpensive and beneficial for understanding new or rapidly changing tax and accounting topics. Plus, many low-cost and free options are available on the Thomson Reuters Checkpoint Learning website.
4. CPE webinars and virtual seminars
Webinars first emerged in the 1990s as a way for people to provide education and instruction online. In a post-COVID world, they are everywhere. Webinars and virtual seminars offer some significant advantages for employee training and CPE. You or your employees can attend and interact with the presenter to get questions answered, or watch on demand when it’s convenient. Webinars for tax and accounting CPE range from short presentations to full-day seminars, providing as many CPE hours as you need. Like virtual conferences, they also offer training without the time investment and added costs of in-person events.
Webinars and virtual seminars can also provide in-house training. CPE Network courses from Thomson Reuters are perfect for lunch-and-learn or group-study sessions. The subscription comes with training tools like commentary, case studies, and discussion questions.
5. Leadership courses
Continuing professional education in tax and accounting topics is essential, but that’s not where employee development stops. Providing courses and encouraging team members to explore other topics is also great for their development. Leadership training can help your staff feel valued, which aids retention and boosts morale.
Help your employees get their required CPE, grow and learn as tax and accounting professionals, and reach their full potential with professional development courses. Find out what’s available and explore courses at Thomson Reuters Checkpoint Learning today.
