Xero and Swinburne Spearhead New Learning Platform

Swinburne has partnered with accounting software giant, Xero, to reshape accountancy training in Australia with the launch of a new online learning course for students.

Called the Lifelong Learning Platform, the online accounting tool is designed to help boost the financial literacy of secondary and tertiary students, as well as those looking to reskill.

Xero and Swinburne will collaborate together on the platform which will provide accounting students with business scenarios and simulations as well as offering grading and assessment tools and advanced finance applications. The platform will be available online in Australia and New Zealand.

Executive Director of Major Partnerships at Swinburne, Sharon Rice, says it is vital that education keeps pace with technological change.

“Greater collaboration between industry and higher education is critical to producing high-quality, job-ready graduates,” she says.

“We’re proud to be partnering with Xero to spearhead this initiative to improve accessibility of financial and business acumen for the next generation of accountants, and everyone.”

Chief Partner Officer at Xero, Anna Curzon, says the Lifelong Learning Platform would help prepare students for the real world.

“The globalisation of technology has not only reshaped the way we work, but also the nature of learning, and paved the way for education to be accessible for everyone,” Ms Curzon says.

The announcement was made by Xero CEO Rod Drury in front of more than 3000 people at the Xerocon conference, at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Other announcements include artificial intelligence and a revitalised product, which will improve the way that small businesses manage expenses.

“We’re taking people on a journey from traditional accounting to where it goes with machine learning…where you have thousands of servers working for you overnight,” Mr Drury says.

“It’s dramatically simplifying accounting for small businesses.”

The Lifelong Learning Platform would allow students to have access to working Xero applications, with example data sets for any scenario. Students would be guided through exercises within Xero, making use of all the software’s regular functionality.

Courses are expected to be available online in Australia and New Zealand.

 

About Prof Janek Ratnatunga 1129 Articles
Professor Janek Ratnatunga is CEO of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants. He has held appointments at the University of Melbourne, Monash University and the Australian National University in Australia; and the Universities of Washington, Richmond and Rhode Island in the USA. Prior to his academic career he worked with KPMG.
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