How co-op is shaking up the business of accounting

The Courier lays out what local firms are doing to shake up the industry, including hiring more employees, raising salaries and creating plenty of hands-on student opportunities. 

Chelsea Anderson, PhD, assistant professor of accounting in UC’s Lindner College of Business, told the Courier that co-op is a great way to gain that vital experience. 

“We need to have collaboration between accounting firms and universities to not only attract talent but also retain it,” Anderson told the Courier. She emphasizes the importance of cooperative learning to accomplish this real-world exposure.

Of the misconception that all accountants work long hours during tax season, Anderson told the Courier that co-op students’ multiple experiences help “dispel those myths.”

The Courier reports that Ohio’s new guidelines on becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) are changing to make it possible to meet the requirements within a four-year undergraduate program. Anderson told the Courier that the change, going into effect in 2026, will help attract more talent into the industry. 

Read the Cincinnati Business Courier article. 

Featured image at top: a computer with tax returns on it. Photo/Adobe Stock