Thousands of students join AAT’s flagship accelerAATe conference

A record number of accounting students united for one of the UK’s most prominent online conferences of its kind, which took place 29-31 January 2025.  

Over 3,500 students registered for accelerAATe - the flagship event in the student calendar for AAT. Thousands tuned in live to the Conference sessions, with hundreds more expected to catch up on demand in the days following. 

With approximately 67,000 students studying AAT qualifications, the organisation is helping meet the growing need for ‘finance and accounting technicians’, which the Department for Education identified in September 2024 as being in critical demand, with 41,300 vacancies in the UK currently. Sarah Beale, CEO at AAT, confirmed: “Employers are crying out for qualified accounting technicians that can enter the workplace with the skills ready to hit the ground running. We’re here to help plug this gap, get the next generation of accounting technicians ready and bolster the UK economy.” 

Now in its fourth year, the free, three-day online event saw a line-up of speakers, including industry professionals, AAT tutors and past students, to help support, guide and motivate AAT students with their studies, as well as their career development. 

Claire Bennison, Executive Director Customer, Partnerships and Innovation at AAT, said: “When you embark on a new learning and career path, the value of connecting with fellow students cannot be underestimated. Events like accelerAATe are rapidly growing in demand. We saw a 55% increase in the number of students who registered compared to last year and many signed up to attend multiple Conference sessions - we had just over 17,000 session registrations in total. It’s our flagship student event and since Covid our entire programme of student events has grown. For self-studiers or distance learners, the opportunity to connect with others in similar situations is invaluable. Similarly, those who choose face-to-face learning still seek community and connection.” 

One student - Emma-Louise Waple, 36 years old from Essex - was so inspired by the Conference last year, she went on to set up a Facebook group as a way of creating the sense of community year-round.  Emma-Louise said: “I was a hairdresser for years and then a full-time mum. After a six-year career break, this is a completely new path for me. Studying at home has been rewarding but can be lonely. The conference last year offered plenty of opportunities to connect through the chat box, which was brilliant. I launched the Facebook group to keep those connections alive. What started as a small initiative has grown to over 1,200 members in just a year, including students, tutors, authors, and honorary AAT members.” 

The students at accelerAATe 2025 shared over 20,600 interactions in the chat box function over the course of the Conference, including written messages, emojis and reactions. 

Claire continues: “A diverse range of students study with us, from career starters to career changers. Some have years of experience in completely different fields, but then after a life change, such as parenthood or a move over to the UK from another country, are seeking new opportunities. We also have neurodiverse students. Everyone is at a different stage in their life and studies, and so our focus is to ensure the content of the conference is interesting and aspirational for everyone.” 

There were eight speaker sessions covering topics including: 

• The skills needed for future accountants, led by an employer panel with spokespeople from BKL and EG On the Move, covering the skills needed for a future accountant, the value of transferable skills, adapting with technology and how to future-proof yourself. 
• Using social media to land your dream job, led by Reed Recruitment, looking at how to represent yourself on different social media platforms and how social media can enhance your job search. 
• Communicating finance to non-finance people, led by Paul Bramall, AAT Curriculum Operations Manager at Chesterfield College, covering how to simplify finance data to a non-accountant, how to present your work within a business environment and what data analysis and interpretation is. 

The conference also showcased a panel of accountants who studied with AAT and shared where their career path had taken them. This included Natalie O'Donnell, Strategic Cost and Control Manager at Barclaycards, and Bola Lawal, Senior Associate Controller at JP Morgan.  

Sarah Beale, CEO at AAT, shared: “I came full circle when I became CEO of AAT, after gaining my AAT qualifications nearly 30 years earlier. At the time, it meant turning down a place at university which everyone around me thought was a big mistake. There’s a good lesson in that; don’t waste your life fulfilling perceived success barometers. Too many people chase the promotion or the fancy job title, even when it’s not aligned to what they want to do. University isn’t the only route into employment, and certainly isn’t the right fit for everyone. Our students enter the workforce with real skills, that the real-world needs and employers want.” 

accelerAATe 2025, an online three-day conference, took place 29-31 January. Sponsors of the conference included: Ideal Schools, the multi-award-winning college; Training Link, a trusted distance learning provider; and Accountext, a committed provider of AAT study resources.  

For further information please visit accelerAATe online: 29–31 January 2025 | AAT