PwC Australia (PwC Au) is overhauling its approach to hiring in its assurance division, aiming for 50% of its 2027 graduate cohort to come from disciplines other than accounting.
The company’s revised intake strategy is positioned as a response to a projected shortage of accounting professionals and changing client needs driven by AI and other technological disruption.
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The company says it is looking to assemble teams with a wider mix of technical, analytical and problem-solving capabilities suited to an AI-enabled environment.
However, it noted that traditional accounting training will remain central to assurance services.
The expanded recruitment criteria is intended to help the business respond to changing client expectations, make use of emerging tools and maintain reliable assurance as organisations pursue large-scale technological change.
PwC AU Assurance leader Sue Horlin said: “Historically, 95% of Assurance graduates came from accounting majors, and they will always be at the heart of the high-quality service we provide.
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By GlobalData“But as AI reshapes our business, we need the right graduates with the right skills to meet the moment for our business and our clients. A greater mix of graduates with different capabilities will empower us as we harness AI and turn disruption into growth.”
To support the change, PwC Australia has created an internal pathway aligned with Chartered Accountants ANZ (CA ANZ) requirements.
This means candidates from non-accounting backgrounds can start their chartered qualification within six months, rather than the usual two years.
The pathway will be available alongside the company’s 18‑month graduate programme, which includes tailored coaching, AI training and early exposure to client work.
PwC Australia says AI has already taken over a range of repetitive, time-intensive tasks previously handled by junior staff, allowing graduates to focus sooner on higher-value, client-facing assignments.
In October last year, PwC Australia launched a global pilot programme designed to help clients transition to a $1bn (A$1.43bn) AI-native audit platform.
