ACRA Launches Refreshed Skills Framework for Accountancy; Embedding AI Competencies and Charting New Pathway in Sustainability Reporting

Singapore, 22 May 2026 – ACRA today launched the refreshed Skills Framework for Accountancy (SFw) at ACCtraordinary 2026, graced by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and National Development, Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi. The refreshed SFw incorporates AI and sustainability reporting competencies to help Singapore’s accountancy profession meet evolving business needs, and reinforce Singapore’s standing as a global business hub.

The refreshed SFw maps out career pathways and skills required across 44 job roles and 11 functional career tracks. It reflects the profession's evolution in response to technological advancement and growing sustainability demands. Some tracks have also been streamlined to reflect the shift towards higher-value analytical and advisory work. The framework was developed in close consultation with industry subject matter experts and professional bodies, and drew on findings from the Accounting Entities (AE) Survey 2025 ↗ (opens in new tab). It highlights skills that employers are looking for, such as advanced data analytics and visualisation, sustainability reporting and assurance, and risk management and governance. The full details of the refreshed SFw will be available on ACRA’s website ↗ (opens in new tab).

AI and Sustainability Reporting

The refreshed SFw introduces two significant enhancements. First, AI skills are now embedded across all job roles in the accountancy sector. With routine tasks increasingly automated, accounting professionals can focus on higher-order work, such as strategic analysis, advisory services, and data-driven decision-making. This equips them to harness data more effectively, deliver sharper insights, and strengthen their value as trusted advisors in an increasingly technology-driven industry.

Second, a new sustainability reporting career track has been added, detailing the competencies accounting professionals need to help navigate compliance requirements and develop sustainable business strategies. With mandatory climate reporting for Straits Times Index (STI) constituent companies coming into effect from FY2025 and for non-STI constituent companies with a market capitalisation of at least $1 billion from FY2028, accountants are well-positioned to play a pivotal role in their organisations’ sustainability journey.

Mrs Chia-Tern Huey Min, Chief Executive of ACRA said, "The refreshed Skills Framework reflects ACRA’s close collaboration with the industry in ensuring that the accountancy profession keeps pace with the demands of a rapidly changing business environment. By embedding AI and sustainability reporting into the profession's core competency map, we spotlight how the profession has evolved, and we underscore Singapore’s commitment to developing a workforce that is adaptive and competitive, poised for the future."

Updated Education Pathways

To keep their programmes relevant to the evolving needs of the accountancy profession, our polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) have incorporated generative AI, data analytics, and sustainability reporting into their accountancy programmes. These are competencies sought after by employers.

To ensure a strong pipeline of accountancy talent, multiple pathways have been established for polytechnic graduates. Accountancy diploma graduates can already apply directly into the Singapore Chartered Accountant Qualification (SCAQ) Foundation Programme, and those who have completed relevant modules are eligible for up to two module exemptions. For graduates from business-related programmes, new University Accelerated Pathway Programmes with the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU) were launched in Academic Year 2026, enabling them to fast-track their accountancy degree. These pathways are complemented by robust internship programmes to help graduates be work-ready.

Strong Employment Outcomes

The AE Survey 2025 showed that the sector created over 1,500 new career opportunities across key areas in 2024, underscoring the sustained demand for accounting talent. According to the Graduate Employment Survey 2025, employment rates for accountancy graduates across local universities — NUS, NTU, SIT, SMU, and SUSS — ranged between 93.8% and 97.6%. Median starting salaries for accounting associates have also risen from $3,800 in 2022 to $4,200 in 2024 – a 10% increase that outpaced the 7% growth in median wages for fresh university graduates over the same period.

ACCtraordinary 2026

ACCtraordinary 2026 is jointly organised by ACRA and Temasek Polytechnic (TP), and supported by Singapore's five polytechnics, ITE, and the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA). Now in its seventh year, ACCtraordinary has reached more than 2,000 participants since its inception in 2020, including students, parents, teachers, and education and career guidance counsellors. This year’s expanded programme showcased the dynamic nature of the accountancy profession, and for the first time extended into an evening festival to accommodate a larger audience. Participants engaged in a fireside chat with industry leaders, parent sharing sessions, interactive games, and exhibits, giving them a better understanding of the career opportunities and employment prospects available in accountancy.

More information can be found here ↗ (opens in new tab).