AAT set to turbo charge finance skills for South Yorkshire employers

• AAT has been approved as the first accountancy professional body to join the South Yorkshire Skills Bank delivering essential financial training to address regional skills shortages and support economic growth.
• South Yorkshire employer data reveals 37% of job postings require finance skills but only 7% of candidates match them, alongside shortages in accounting, auditing, and critical thinking.
• AAT’s ‘Filling the Gap’ survey of 1,000 UK employers confirm 26% struggle to recruit finance and accounting skills, with top shortages in data analysis, AI, and financial modelling

AAT (The Association of Accounting Technicians) has been approved as the first accountancy professional body to join the South Yorkshire Skills Bank, a flagship initiative by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA). This partnership positions AAT at the heart of South Yorkshire’s skills transformation, delivering vital financial training to South Yorkshire businesses, addressing the region’s pressing skills shortage.

The Skills Bank supports businesses by providing grants covering up to 60% of training costs for courses such as AAT’s Essentials and Business Finance Basics, now available through the Skills Bank Portal. Supported by SYMCA Skills Advisors, businesses will be able to select from an approved list of high-quality training providers, including AAT, to upskill their workforce in critical financial competencies and skills, enhancing business resilience and supporting regional economic growth.

South Yorkshire’ skills challenge

Data shows South Yorkshire Combined Authority faces a significant need for financial expertise with finance and auditing identified as top in-demand skills. However, with only 7% of candidate profiles listing such skills and 37% of job postings requiring them, there is a significant skills gap in the region. These gaps have signalled an urgent need for targeted upskilling to bolster South Yorkshire’s workforce and economic competitiveness. 

Filling the gap

AAT’s ‘Filling the Gap’ report, which polled 1,396 UK employers, shows a stark skills crisis mirroring the experience seen across South Yorkshire. With 80% of respondents reporting shortages leading to reduced productivity and increased burden on staff, with 34% of employers struggling to fill finance and accounting roles. Employers also reported challenges finding candidates with critical business skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving (30%), strategic thinking (25%), and accountability and reliability (23%).   

Claire Bennison, Executive Director of Customer, Partnerships and Innovation at AAT:

“South Yorkshire is poised for growth and we’re excited to address the national skills shortage is being firmly felt across South Yorkshire, holding people, businesses and the region back from fulfilling their full potential. Accountancy and finance roles underpin the success of every type of business, regardless of sector. That’s why we’re delighted to be the first accountancy professional body to join the South Yorkshire Skills Bank providing access to much needed financial and business training.  It signals to employers in the region that the door is now open to them to undertake the financial training that is deeply needed. With the right training and support, we can help businesses grow, support staff looking to upskill or retrain which builds resilience in the region's economy.”

For media enquiries please contact media@aat.org.uk