A contest which gives sixth formers a taste of life in public finance is celebrating its 10th anniversary of inspiring future students.
The CIPFA management competition aims to raise awareness of careers in public sector finance and sets an annual challenge for sixth formers from across the Midlands.
The first of this year’s events was hosted by De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) Accounting and Finance department – which has more accreditations and exemptions than any other UK university.
The management games try to show students the breadth of career opportunities open to them in the finance industry and encourage them to study the subject at university. At DMU, students are given the chance to work in industry as part of their degree and many have gone on international placements in accounting firms.
Students were given fictional roles in an NHS trust faced with having to cut £23million from its budget – while juggling press conferences, union objections and lobbying.
Students and qualified CIPFA accountants were on hand to guide them through their day including Fred Mear, senior lecturer in Accounting and Finance at DMU and a CIPFA accountant for 40 years.
Chris Gill the lead volunteer said: “This CIPFA management game is an excellent experience for local students to understand the way our public finances are managed and the difficulties our finance teams have in choosing between competing and often equally important priorities. The students involved today were really engaged and threw themselves in to the game, they remained engaged throughout the day and hopefully will have taken much away from the game that will be useful for their future careers and general development.
"This country needs the best managers to be running our local Authorities and other Public Sector organisations and perhaps some of these young people are the Public Sector finance directors of the future.”
The winners were Chosen Hill, Gloucestershire, and Montsaye from Northants – the first time there has been a tie in the 10 years of the competition.
Sam Bull, of Montsaye, said: “We are all business students and we heard about it from our teacher. It’s been a good day. It makes you realise how much there is to think about in making big decisions.”
Special awards went to James Littlefair of Chosen Hill, Gloucs; Alison Johnson of Southfield School in Kettering; Evie Willis of Countesthorpe Community College; Rujek Chikwava from Cardinal Wiseman in Coventry; Rachel Salkin of Beauchamp College, Oadby; and Lydia Ravenscroft from Montsaye in Rothwell.
Posted on Thursday 18 June 2015