There’s a widening skills gap in the accounting and finance industry that’s impacting both career trajectories and business outcomes alike. In fact, 63% of employers identified skill gaps as the biggest barrier to business transformation, while 60% of the global workforce will require retraining by 2030 (Future of Jobs Report 2025, World Economic Forum).
The urgency cuts both ways: accounting and finance professionals who fail to upskill risk career stagnation, while employers struggle to find talent equipped with the specialized skills needed to drive strategy in an increasingly complex business environment.
This very challenge is what drove us at the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) to update our Competency Framework earlier this year, to reflect the core and evolving skills necessary to succeed in an industry that’s changing at a rapid pace. We believe that accounting and finance professionals need upskilling options that are robust and specific to their role, while employers need confidence that their investments in professional development will yield directly applicable skills with positive business outcomes.
The Certified Management Accountant (CMA) certification is the global standard for the management accounting profession,validating the competencies and skills required to support strategic decision-making, business value creation, and solutions to real-world problems. And IMA is determined to do even more: new credentials, faster learning, enterprise solutions, and a global community that creates opportunities and shares the smartest ideas, because we believe that continuous learning will enable you to meet the moment.
Introducing IMA Micro-credentials: Specialized Skills for Real Business Impact
That's why IMA has developed a flexible approach to professional development, leveraging our newly updated Competency Framework and 100+ years of management accounting expertise.
IMA Micro-credentials offer specialized upskilling on emerging practices in accounting and finance, providing timely knowledge that can be applied to that next project. Plus, employers gain confidence that their team's new skills will translate directly to measurable business outcomes.
This approach delivers concrete benefits for both professionals and organizations:
Immediate Application in Your Role: Because every micro-credential addresses real accounting and finance scenarios, you can immediately apply what you learn with skills that directly impact your organization's performance.
Career Advancement with Credible Recognition: Backed by IMA's 100+ years of experience and built on a comprehensive, data-driven Competency Framework, these credentials provide the employer recognition you need to advance your career and command higher compensation.
Future-Ready Skills: As our content evolves with emerging trends and technologies, you stay ahead of industry changes rather than playing catch-up, making you an invaluable asset who can lead business transformation.
Verified Expertise: Robust training and assessment prove to employers that you can deliver results, not just theoretical knowledge, giving organizations confidence in your ability to drive meaningful business outcomes.
How It Works: Strategic Skill Building
Micro-credentials are designed to bridge the gap between the flexibility of online learning and the credibility of academic coursework. That’s why we created a modular, on-demand approach that lets you grow your expertise strategically.
Each micro-credential focuses on a major upskilling challenge, such as AI in finance.
It is then made up of four to six pathways that each focus on a different capability within that track. Typically, pathways will take 2-4 hours to complete and end with an assessment of your knowledge.
When you pass the assessment, you’ll earn a Badge which acts as verification from IMA that you are proficient in that capability.
When you complete all pathways in one track, you’ll earn an employer-recognized micro-credential.
This allows you to demonstrate continuous learning while building a portfolio of verified accounting and finance-specific competencies.
Starting Where It Matters Most: AI
We're launching with the most critical skill gap in accounting and finance today: AI. With 86% of employers believing AI will transform their businesses by 2030, professionals who understand how to leverage these tools will be invaluable.
Our first pathway within the AI Micro-credential—Data Literacy for Finance Professionals—will be available this Fall. This isn't generic data science; it's specifically designed to help accounting and finance professionals understand and apply data analytics in financial contexts, from improving forecast accuracy to identifying trends that impact business decisions.
The Time to Act is Now
The skills gap isn't widening gradually—it's accelerating. While 85% of companies plan to upskill their workforce in response to technological and industry changes, those who take the initiative now will have a significant advantage.
IMA Micro-credentials will help professionals and employers meet this challenge with cutting-edge, accounting and finance-specific content that evolves with the industry and delivers real impact.
Ready to get ahead of the curve? Join our early access list and be among the first to experience the AI & Finance Micro-credential when it launches.
Get Early Access to IMA Micro-credentials
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