By Harry Rogers Members Behind the headlines: different pathways into accounting and held business rates 7 Sep 2026 The AAT community speaks about the Prime Minister’s announcement to offer more technical and vocational pathways into different careers, and the Bank of England’s decision to hold business rates. Andy Burnham’s recent announcement to tackle the growing number of young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) is set to create clearer, more respected technical and vocational routes into skilled careers, such as accounting. The reforms are designed to give practical and technical education the same status as traditional academic pathways which will aim to encourage stronger links with employers and more on-the-job experience. “I am a big fan of apprenticeships” This can only be a good thing, according to Will Blower, director of Realise Finance and former AAT apprentice. He thinks that it’ll be a waiting game to see how it actually plays out in practical terms, but thinks the announcement is positive. He said: “I am a big fan of apprenticeships, having completed one myself to gain my AAT qualification and gaining extremely valuable practice experience that allowed me to start my own practice at a young age. “Any improvements in this area are always great, especially as we look to take on apprentices too. Schemes for businesses used to be great but they do not seem as strong anymore – new changes could make this a lot better.” Will feels that we’re moving towards a future in the accounting profession where communication will be more important than ever, and providing suitable skills through vocational routes could create more confidence in the accountants of tomorrow. He added: “Communication is becoming more and more important, much more than the traditional “maths”. Employers are doing enough in these skills – it is really focussed on, and rightly so. Everything is moving in a good direction and there is a really strong calibre of young accountants in the country.” Nic Lonsdale, who founded Ginger Bucks and won the AAT Practice of the Year Award in 2025, says that for too long there has been a narrative around university being the only route into finance roles. As someone who completed an apprenticeship, this announcement is something she truly believes in, especially in such a technology-driven industry now. She said: “Even when I started in 2017, apprenticeship opportunities were limited. I made a conscious decision that I wanted to work rather than go to university, and for me an apprenticeship was the best route into the profession. “Looking back, I’m incredibly glad I made that decision. By the time I would have been leaving university, I already had several years of practical experience behind me. “I think entering the profession as a junior today could actually be harder. Businesses are becoming leaner and technology/AI is changing the type of work traditionally given to junior employees. That makes it even more important that we create genuine entry-level opportunities where young people can learn while doing the job.” Like Will, Nic agrees that communication is key, but also suggests that young people need to have curiosity and confidence with technology. She added: “Young people entering accounting now need to become really good at leveraging technology to deliver the technical work, but the human skills are just as important. “Development shouldn’t stop at paying for someone’s technical qualification or putting them on a CPD course. Employers have years of commercial, client and leadership experience that they can actively drip feed down to younger employees. “If we want the next generation to become great accountants and advisers, we need to give them exposure to those conversations and opportunities to develop those skills, rather than expecting them to somehow acquire them on their own.” 3 key takeaways… Reforms could strengthen practical routes into accounting and create better opportunities for both learners and employers. The profession is evolving beyond traditional technical skills and vocational pathways could help build confident, well-rounded accountants. Apprenticeships provide valuable experience and could be seen as even more important as technology and AI reshape entry-level accounting roles. “Businesses are having to plan much further ahead” The Bank of England recently decided to hold business rates because it believes inflation risks are still present, even though inflation had fallen to 2.6% in June 2026. The Bank expects inflation to rise again later in the year due to higher energy prices and wider economic uncertainty. This means that accountants may be affected by the following: Businesses tend to scrutinise costs more closely. Demand for budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management and financial planning skills often increases. Finance teams are expected to provide stronger commercial insight to help organisations navigate uncertainty. Nic says that her business is certainly seeing the impact of this when speaking to her clients. She said: “With borrowing becoming less attractive, businesses are having to plan much further ahead and think about how they can fund growth themselves. I’m having more conversations with clients about building cash reserves, forecasting upcoming investment and making sure there is enough working capital in the business before committing to growth. “It means financial planning is becoming less about looking backwards at what the business has done and much more about understanding what cash it will need six or 12 months from now.” Nic also suggests that this is having a considerable knock-on effect when it comes to recruitment and investment. She added: “Businesses are definitely becoming more cautious about employment, with more small business owners opting for freelancers rather than taking on permanent employees. The commitment of another salary, alongside Employers’ National Insurance and the wider costs of employment, is a genuine concern for small business owners. “When they don’t have certainty over what the next six or 12 months will look like, taking on another permanent salary can feel like a huge risk.” 3 key takeaways… Some small businesses are focusing on building cash reserves, forecasting investment and ensuring they have sufficient working capital before pursuing growth. Several businesses are increasingly focused on understanding their future cash needs six to 12 months in advance, compared to previous years. Some business owners are choosing freelancers over permanent hires because of uncertainty and the rising costs associated with employment. Further reading From Accounting to advisory: why the role of the accountant is changing Behind the headlines: MFA for account agents, skills gap and making tax digital Behind the headlines: tax update aims to ease workload Harry Rogers is AAT Comment’s news writer.