ACCA (The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) has awarded the ultimate winners of the highly competitive ACCA Strategic Business Leadership Inter-University Challenge-Kenya which aimed to equip students in the field of accounting with relevant key skills to prepare for the job market. work.

Team Veex Strategy from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) won first place overall with the team Incredibles from Egerton University as the first runner-up and team Front row champions from Multimedia University as the second runner-up team.

Each of the four members of the winning team walked away with a KES 150,000 ACCA scholarship, a laptop, a trophy, a certificate of participation and an ACCA gift basket. Each member of the first and second runners-up team left with a trophy, smartphone, certificate of participation and an ACCA gift basket. All members of the top three winning teams have won internship and placement opportunities with the top eight employers that have partnered with ACCA.

Geoffrey Ochieng, Head of Change at ACCA Africa, said, “The ACCA SBL-Kenya Inter-University Challenge is the first of its kind. Our Strategic Business Leader paper mirrors the workplace and provides students with real-world challenges to demonstrate a mix of technical, practical, and professional skills. We must ensure that our young people acquire vocational skills, technical expertise and vocational qualifications that will improve their employability and competitiveness.

At a colorful awards ceremony held in Nairobi, the top 11 finalists competed to present innovative case studies to test their ability to function as a leader in a work environment. simulated, with judges evaluating a mix of technical, ethical and professional elements. skills.

Chief Executive and Secretary of the Higher Education Loans Council, Charles Ringera, who was the guest of honour, praised ACCA for its flagship mentoring project aimed at building the capacity of young people to excel in their professions. .

“I want to commend ACCA for taking the lead in resolving workplace dilemmas and taking charge of shaping the future of the profession. ACCA has set a precedent by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in accounting for problem-solving skills to improve strategic processes. Students have the advantage of building networks and organizational skills faster because they have early access to technology,” Ringera said.

This follows the shortlisting of 44 team members from eight universities who reached the top 11 in the finals after qualifying for the third and final stage of the competition. Initially, the applicants comprised 266 teams (each consisting of four students) from 38 tertiary institutions in 15 counties across Kenya.

Steve Obuogo, ACCA’s Head of Kenya and Tanzania, said: “We believe that the students who took on this highly competitive six-month challenge understood the relevance of skills such as financial management, leadership and Management, Strategy & Innovation and Ethics & Professionalism., Data Digital & Technology, Management Accounting, Advisory & Consultances, Governance Risk & Control and Stakeholder Relationship Management in Business Leadership. The opportunity for students to pairing up with institutional mentors and ACCA member mentors also gave them valuable hands-on experience of the accounting profession.

The 11 finalist teams, each team consisting of four members, were: Titans & Generations Z from Strathmore University, Royals and Alphas from the University of Nairobi and Pack Thee Chosen & Veex Strategia from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. The others are The great strategic masters from Oshwal College, Front row champions of the Multimedia University, more steel from the University of Kibabii, The Incredibles from Egerton University and Elite from the Jaffrey Institute for Professional Studies.

The judging process partner for this challenge was PKF LLP Kenya and winners will also receive mentorship and job training, internships and work placements from various partner organizations including KPMG East Africa, Oracle, British American Tobacco (BAT), PKF Kenya LLP, RSM Eastern Africa Consulting Ltd., BC Patel & Co., Knight Frank Kenya, Mayfair-CIB Bank and Crowe COR LLP.

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