Becker launches new diversity and inclusion certificate

CPA Exam prep course and continuing professional education provider Becker Professional Education has announced its new Leading Change for a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace Certificate.

Designed for accounting and finance leaders, the five-course, eight-credit continuing professional education (CPE) course aims to teach managers how to implement more diversity, equity, belonging and inclusion (DEBI) practices within their organizations. The program builds on Becker's 2021 Cultivating a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace program.

The course utilizes material from thought leaders in diversity with decades of accounting, finance and corporate human resources experience. Courses are open to organizations and firms of any size and specialty.

"Knowing the benefits of bringing true diversity, equity, belonging and inclusion into the workplace is only the start," said Nikki Watson, senior manager of global accounts for Becker, in a statement. "Driving real, organization-wide change requires strategy and intentional effort at all levels. Leading Change for a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace brings DEBI core concepts into actual work settings."

Participants in the certificate program will earn CPE credits with each course and a Becker certificate with completion of all five. Courses will cover how to :

• Draw up a DEBI strategy with metrics and data-driven insights;
• Learn coaching and mentoring strategies to recruit and retain diverse talent;
• Enact best practices for fostering an inclusive culture;
• Learn strategies that different levels of leadership can use to enact DEBI initiatives; and,
• Integrate DEBI into every level of employees' careers.

"The percentage of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) representation decreases rapidly on the path from accounting undergraduate to the partner level," said Watson in a statement. "Completing this certificate is a firm step leaders can take to foster a more inclusive workplace and help close the diversity gap in the profession, while also having a positive impact on business outcomes."
Courses are available on-demand and are viewable 24/7. The program is also offered in a live and live-virtual classroom setting. For more information, head to Becker's site here.