The ISCA Academy, the education arm of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA), has rolled out an AI training initiative across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to close skills gaps in finance and accounting roles.
The programme is built around practical applications of AI for finance, audit and accounting professionals.
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Participants will learn to automate Excel-based tasks, pull data from documents, build dashboards, prepare presentations and use AI agents to support more complex workflows.
The training initiative is being developed with Singapore-headquartered AI training provider Skybots. It centres on everyday work scenarios and uses widely accessible tools such as Microsoft Copilot, the ISCA added.
Skybots founder and director Daryl Aw said: “There is a common misconception that AI requires technical expertise or large budgets.
“In reality, the tools are already available. What professionals need is the confidence and practical know-how to apply them effectively and responsibly. This programme is built to deliver exactly that.”
Through the ISCA’s overseas offices, the training will be progressively introduced in Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. In its first phase, the initiative aims to train around 2,500 finance professionals.
The initial rollout, starting in mid-April, is directed at audit, accounting and finance practitioners across the private and public sectors, as well as non-profit organisations.
A second phase, planned for the third quarter, is expected to extend the programme to professionals in tax, corporate secretarial, human resources, banking and finance, and legal services.
ISCA Academy chairperson Cyndi Pei said: “The window for treating AI as a theoretical topic is closing. Finance professionals across ASEAN are now expected to apply AI in their daily work – safely, effectively and immediately.”
Last month, the ISCA partnered with the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry to strengthen commercial and professional communication between China and Singapore.
