Along with obtaining a good education, success comes from being a strong leader, a creative and critical thinker, and an effective communicator. Such skills, however, don't always come naturally. To help ensure that New Jersey businesses are provided with the financial leaders it needs, the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJSCPA) has established The Scholars Institute. The goal of The Scholars Institute is to provide accounting students with the leadership, interpersonal and other training required by today's business environment. Students benefit by gaining an edge on their competition, while businesses can reap the advantages of hiring new employees who are prepared to make an immediate contribution.

The Scholars Institute will be launched this summer, August 1-3, at Monmouth University. About 50 students from throughout New Jersey are scheduled to attend the free, three-day program. Funding for the Institute has come from founding partner and platinum sponsor PricewaterhouseCoopers and through the $1 Million Millennium Scholarship Campaign the NJSCPA completed earlier this year. Monmouth University School of Business Administration, Department of Accountancy/Business also is serving as program sponsor.

Students enrolled in the program will participate in team-building events, receive training in business etiquette, learn about the components that make for effective communication, and brush up their resume writing and interviewing skills. Each student is either a recipient of a NJSCPA accounting scholarship or a scholarship award nominee.

"Our goal is provide those students who have already demonstrated a level of success with the training that can help them to make an immediate impact with their first employer and ensure their career success," said Sharon L. Lamont, CPA, immediate past president of the NJSCPA and chair of The Scholars Institute Advisory Board. "While many people still hold the notion that accounting is just about numbers, there are a range of skill sets CPAs bring to the world of business. The Scholars Institute is designed to further enhance the value CPAs provide to the businesses and individuals they serve."

It is anticipated that The Scholars Institute will be expanded next year to include high school students. That component of the program would focus on assisting upcoming high school graduates with the career selection process and with making a successful transition to college.