INTHEBLACK February / March 2026 - Magazine - Page 35
“We start training scholarship staff members while they’re
studying at university and we help pay for their school
fees, so they can work up to full-time and study part-time.
It is a win-win for students.”
AMANDA KENAFAKE CPA, POWER TYNAN
One of the most powerful transformations
we’re witnessing is the shift from technician
to translator.”
The profession’s real value now lies in
how that knowledge is communicated
to create understanding and drive action.
“This is the vision we need to promote
to those who think accounting is dull and
boring,” says Dr Jones. “It is moving so far
from the old stereotypes. The emerging
opportunities for finance professionals
to influence business outcomes is both
exciting and innovative.”
OPPORTUNITIES MATTER
Accounting firms such as Power Tynan
have long realised the importance of
a well-developed graduate recruitment
program, fast-tracking young accountants
through their tertiary years and putting
them in front of clients right from
the start.
“Outside-the-box thinking is needed to find
graduates, especially for businesses in regional
locations,” says Amanda Kenafake CPA,
CEO and executive director of Power Tynan.
For the past 18 years, the Queensland-based
financial services firm has run a scholarship
program for students in their final year of
school and beyond. The business, which has
an 80-strong team that includes members in
India and the Philippines, offers a range of
accounting, advice and wealth management
services. It confers between two and four
scholarships per year, with many recipients
going on to be managers and even partners
in the business.
“We start training scholarship staff
members while they’re studying at university
and we help pay for their school fees, so they
can work up to full-time and study part-time.
It is a win-win for students, who finish
their degree with years of work experience
and can fast-track through their course,
given their paid work means they can
get exemptions for up to seven university
subjects,” says Kenafake.
“What we have to do
differently is make it attractive for
people to want to jump into and
be a part of our industry. They do not
want years sitting around learning.
We have our scholarship kids, who
are 17 or 18 years old, who start out
working on reception. They are
learning from day one.”
The business is set up to make
employment easy, transparent and
flexible. A formal policy document
also details career pathways and
learning opportunities.
“We have a continuous improvement
mindset and a flexible working policy, so
people can start work early or late or work
a nine-day fortnight to make sure study
and work go hand-in-hand,” says Kenafake.
“It is very open and transparent. You don’t
have to stand in line and wait for someone
to leave [to be promoted].”
According to Kenafake, people will move
on, no matter what, so an underlying positive
culture is paramount. “That means doing
what you say you’re going to do — you’ve got
to deliver on that. Making people feel valued
is also vital. They want to feel that what
they’re doing has an impact.
“Our scholarship recipients feel like they
are a part of the business. They know the
team, they know the clients. They are moving
forward,” she continues. “Our retention rates
show that the proof is in the pudding.”
CHANGING MARKET CONDITIONS
Post COVID-19, employers are increasingly
turning to social media to engage with new
industry members.
“It costs a lot of time and energy to
run around the country going to graduate
events. Employers are being a lot more
targeted and thoughtful about the events
they are attending in person and what
they’re doing online,” says Seren Wilson,
director of New Zealand recruitment firm
Talent Solutions.
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