PRO ACHIEVE 2026 Successfully Completed Second Session, RPA Canada Announces December Expansion

RPA Canada’s PRO ACHIEVE 2026 program has completed its second successful run, drawing a sold-out cohort of 30 participants to the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) campus from September 23 to 26. Participants travelled from across the country to take part, underscoring the national appetite for a direct, credible pathway to the Registered Professional Accountant (RPA) designation. The four-day, in-person fast-track program built on the momentum of its inaugural June 2026 session, which participants and presenters alike described as a gold-standard model for professional training.

PRO ACHIEVE 2026 was created to address a persistent gap in Canada’s accounting sector: thousands of practitioners across the country serve small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and individual tax filers every day without holding a formal accounting designation. Without structured education, ethical training, and professional accountability, that gap can leave businesses and individual filers exposed to compliance risk and substandard advice precisely the public-interest concern PRO ACHIEVE was built to close.

Over four days, the September cohort worked through a curriculum spanning Financial Accounting, Taxation In-Depth, Management Accounting, and Emerging Technology & Practice Management, with each day anchored by two morning sessions, two afternoon sessions, and a collaborative workshop. Mandatory 90-minute subject examinations, held under formal exam conditions at the end of each day, tested and validated the material in real time. The technology-focused fourth day covering AI applications in modern accounting, data analytics, and the ethical and privacy implications of AI-driven practice drew particular engagement, reflecting how central these tools have become to day-to-day practice for SME-focused accountants.

The program was led by six highly credentialed presenters: Michael Saniga, MBA, CPA, RPA, Director of Engagement & Learning Innovation at RPA Canada; Kiran Choudhry, CPA, a Canadian tax specialist and Senior Tax Manager at Deloitte; Dr. Taslima Nasreen of Algoma University; Dr. William Wei, inaugural Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics at Algoma University; Andres Murillo, BEng, MFAc, PMP and Umar Choudhry, CPA, LPA, RPA, Director of Education Outreach who anchored the program as a real-world example of the designation’s value.

Participants and organizers alike pointed to the level of engagement throughout the four days of active discussion, hands-on workshop integration, and sustained participation through the examination process as evidence that the September session met or exceeded the standard set in June. Drawing candidates from coast to coast, the session set a new benchmark for professional training delivery in the sector.

“Our goal is to maximize enrolment under this fast-track, affordable pathway so that as many undesignated practitioners as possible can obtain the oldest Canadian accounting designation in 2026.”

Zubair Choudhry, RPA, APA, President & CEO, RPA Canada

The session’s closing ceremony carried added weight with the attendance of Sheref Sabawy, MPP, Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, who served as guest of honour and personally presented certificates of completion to the graduating participants, a gesture RPA Canada took as recognition of the program’s growing standing within Ontario’s post-secondary and professional training landscape.

“It was a privilege to join RPA Canada and celebrate the graduates of the PRO ACHIEVE program. Programs like this reflect exactly the kind of practical, accessible skills training our government wants to see more of across Ontario equipping accounting professionals with real credentials that strengthen their careers and better protect the businesses and communities they serve.”

Sheref Sabawy, MPP, Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

Announcing the results, Zubair Choudhry, RPA, APA, President & CEO of RPA Canada, said the strong demand and quality of delivery had prompted the organization to expand the program further. A third PRO ACHIEVE session is now scheduled for December 2 to 5, 2026, again at the University of Toronto Mississauga campus. Reflecting the program’s growing reach, eligibility has also been broadened: alongside the original applicant pool, candidates with a university degree and more than five years of executive-level experience will now be considered for the fast-track pathway.

Choudhry encouraged practitioners who missed the September session to register for December, noting that the program remains open to accounting professionals nationwide.

For accounting and tax professionals who have built real-world expertise without a formal designation, PRO ACHIEVE 2026 continues to offer a direct route to recognition, one that RPA Canada says strengthens both individual practitioners and the public’s confidence in the SME accounting sector. Registration details for the December 2–5 session, including current investment and application requirements, are available through RPA Canada at [email protected] or 416-350-8145.