Inviting students to talk the talk: developing employability skills in accounting education through industry-led experiences

ABSTRACT

Universities are increasingly focused on preparing graduates with strong disciplinary and interdisciplinary skills to increase student employability. In accounting education however, the development of employability skills remains a concern among graduates and employers. One strategy for enhancing employability is to engage students in industry-based experiences through work-integrated learning (WIL). This paper introduces a novel, industry-led WIL experience embedded in an Australian university’s accounting and financial planning curriculum and investigates students’ perceptions of employability skills developed through this intervention. In this WIL experience, industry professionals workshopped multidisciplinary skills and provided feedback to students following a simulated work-based scenario. Data was analysed from student surveys and reflections and showed that students perceived this approach as effective for developing employability skills such as teamwork and communication and for aligning theory to praxis. This paper supports endorsing alternative WIL models and industry collaborations in accounting education to enhance graduate employability skills.

KEYWORDS:

• Employability
• work-integrated learning
• teamwork
• communication
• industry-led experiences
• WIL

Introduction

Recent calls in accounting literature highlight the need for educators to create more work-integrated opportunities to better prepare graduates to transition into the workplace (Herbert et al., 2021; Jackson & Meek, 2021). Embedding employability skills in accounting education addresses an ongoing dialogue on the expectations-performance gap identified within accounting graduates (Bui & Porter, 2010; Howcroft, 2017; Jackling & De Lange, 2009; Webb & Chaffer, 2016). This gap is not new, with an absence of practical skills in the accounting curriculum identified over two decades ago (Albrecht & Sack, 2000). To enhance graduate employability, emphasis must be placed on embedding practice-based pedagogies and industry engagement within the curriculum.

This study explores undergraduates’ perceptions of employability before and after an innovative work-integrated learning (WIL) intervention. WIL is a pedagogical strategy that fosters student learning in collaboration with industry or community stakeholders (Smith et al., 2018). In recent years, WIL has been supported as an essential model in accounting education to support student transitions and develop a range of skills (Jackson & Meek, 2021; Stanley & Xu, 2019). Employability skills, also known as soft or generic skills, can include teamwork (Kennedy & Dull, 2008; Levant et al., 2016; Oosthuizen et al., 2021), problem-solving (Milne & McConnell, 2001) and communication skills (Riley & Ward, 2017; Siriwardane & Durden, 2014; Stephenson, 2017), and are crucial for graduate employability (Barac et al., 2021; Tsiligiris & Bowyer, 2021).

This study builds on the existing literature investigating different approaches to enhance graduates’ employability through accounting education (Asonitou, 2021; Jackson & Meek, 2021; Mistry, 2021; Plant et al., 2019; Stanley & Xu, 2019). It examines students’ skill development and benefits by implementing an industry-led skills-development workshop and group-based simulation in a second-year accounting subject. In doing so, students learn to ‘talk the talk’ by engaging and learning from those who are ‘walking the walk’. Collaborating with industry professionals within teaching and curriculum can close the expectation gap and contribute to developing a range of skills through observing, networking, and role-modelling authentic accounting practice. Specifically, this study asks: To what extent does an industry-led Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) experience develop perceived employability skills for accounting students?; and, what specific employability skills are developed as a result of this WIL experience?

This study makes a crucial contribution to the accounting education literature, exposing the benefits of WIL as a non-placement model integrated not as a final experience but as a career development opportunity in the middle of accounting studies. It adds to the recent literature on the effectiveness of developing employability skills in the accounting curriculum and outlines an innovative educational intervention that may assist accounting educators in developing broader skills beyond those that are technical or discipline-specific.

The paper next examines the literature on embedding employability skills into the accounting curriculum before presenting the context and case study. Findings and discussions highlight the value of the intervention and students’ employability development before the paper closes with recommendations for accounting educators on preparing accounting students for contemporary workplaces.

Embedding employability into the accounting curriculum

Employability broadly refers to a range of processes that build students’ self-awareness to progress their ability to achieve employment and career goals (Divan et al., 2019; Smith et al., 2018). Embedding employability into curricula is a strategy that permeates across disciplines and has been described as a ‘moral duty’ for higher education providers (Artess et al., 2017). Although employability was once considered akin to student’s ‘ability to get a job’ (Gedye & Beaumont, 2018), studies have recently shown that student’s perceptions of themselves, their skills and abilities, and understanding of career progressions can influence their capacity for career readiness after graduation (Jackson & Wilton, 2017; Subramaniam & Freudenberg, 2007).

Accounting educators have made progress towards developing students’ employability in curricula, for example, by incorporating a focus on generic skills within the traditional knowledge-based curriculum to improve work readiness (Sin et al., 2012) and by incorporating quality WIL programmes to help students meet industry needs (Jackson & Meek, 2021). However, as in other disciplines, the consensus in accounting remains that there are still competing and deficit discourses around graduate employability (Winterton & Turner, 2019). Bui and Porter (2010) identify several factors through an expectations-performance gap in accounting education that contributes to a potential lack of work readiness. These systemic issues are grounded in the differences between accounting academics, employers, and students’ expectations of the required competencies for the profession. Therefore, understanding the perceptions of these stakeholders is crucial to developing an effective curriculum designed for graduate success (Winterton & Turner, 2019).

Employers have expressed concerns with the preparedness of accounting graduates, particularly regarding the development of ‘soft’ or generic skills. Although students have reported technical skills as the focus of their degree, employers have ranked generic skills such as teamwork, communication, and leadership as more important traits for accounting graduates (Jackling & De Lange, 2009; Jackson, 2016a; Plant et al., 2019). An early study surveying 92 employers found that accounting graduates lacked skills in writing, presenting and interaction (Gardner & Liu, 1997). More recently, these concerns have continued to be cited. For example, Plant et al. (2019) found that adaptability, communication, time management, self-management, and teamwork are skills employers require but are not consistently demonstrated in entry-level roles.

Students’ perceptions of their knowledge and skills in accounting work and the role of their educational providers haven’t always aligned with the expectations of employers (Barac et al., 2021; Bui & Porter, 2010). In an Australian study of 310 accounting graduates, De Lange et al. (2006) reported that students felt the curriculum lacked the opportunity to practice generic skills such as interpersonal, oral communication and information technology skills. Sin et al. (2012) echoed this, finding that students’ understandings of accounting work were primarily functional and technical. Carr et al. (2006) investigated graduates’ perceptions of the skills needed for the profession, reporting generic skills, communication, problem-solving, critical thinking and professionalism as most desirable. Students, similar to employers, report that they lack crucial soft skills and haven’t had sufficient expertise or experiences to sharpen these skills (Andrews & Higson, 2008). While espoused by employers as vital, teamwork skills are also identified by students as poorly taught in the curriculum (Opdecam & Everaert, 2018). The accounting curriculum must include a greater focus on engaging students in developing employability skills and support reflection on how these skills translate to future professional roles.

The expectations gap between employers and students reflects a need to consider what generic skills are being developed in the accounting curriculum. Andrews and Higson (2008) state that business schools need to design courses where students actively develop generic skills, particularly communication skills, to promote graduate employability. They argue, ‘high levels of business knowledge by itself is insufficient, excellent verbal communication skills are also necessary so that graduates feel confident in their abilities to communicate such knowledge’ (Andrews & Higson, 2008, p. 419). Accounting students need the opportunity to acquire and hone discipline and generic skills prior to employment by integrating these into the curriculum.

To embed such skills, scholars have made several important suggestions. First, a one-size-fits-all approach to employability development is not suitable as it doesn’t account for the diverse needs of all stakeholders (Jackson & Wilton, 2017). Academics need to consider diverse activities situated within the discipline, topic and learning objectives of the subject and that these activities are scaffolded across the degree (Dean et al., 2020). Second, while there is a contentious issue of balance between discipline and generic skills, developing employability should emphasise career development learning and forming students’ sense of pre-professional identity. Career development learning assists students in becoming work-ready and aware of career options upon graduation (Herbert et al., 2021; Jackson & Wilton, 2017). Third, it’s important to introduce more opportunities for industry partnerships through WIL pedagogies to enable the application of knowledge and skills to accounting work (Andrews & Higson, 2008; Herbert et al., 2021; Plant et al., 2019). WIL, as an educational approach founded in the theory of experiential learning (Kolb, 1984), supports students to learn by participating in meaningful work-based activities and then reflecting on that experience.

While WIL is commonly referred to as placements or internships, emerging forms of WIL are being integrated into the accounting curriculum that do not require the student to enter the physical workplace (Herbert et al., 2021; Jackson & Meek, 2021). Jackson and Meek (2021) highlight these alternative WIL forms to include project-based learning, simulation and games-based learning, service learning, consulting and mentoring. Virtual or technology-enhanced modes of WIL have increased in uptake due to more flexible workspaces. They have stimulated the rise of innovative approaches such as virtual internships, digital service-learning and online simulations (Bayerlein et al., 2021). Given contemporary advancements to workplace structures in professions, including accounting, such as increased technological uptake and remote working, it is timely for higher education providers to consider alternative ways for students to learn alongside and with industry partners (Bayerlein et al., 2021).

Context

This study investigated accounting students’ perceptions of a WIL experience and the development of their employability skills in a subject that forms part of the Bachelor of Business at the University of Wollongong, a three-year accredited degree. The subject was a second-year, mandatory undergraduate accounting subject primarily for students with a Financial Planning major named ACCY228. This subject provides an overview of taxation issues within Australia and develops students’ knowledge and application of both accounting and law. The subject enrols approximately 40 students per semester, primarily domestic students (89%) undertaking a financial planning and/or accountancy major (84%). At the time of this study, 42 students were enrolled in the first instance (2020) and 34 in the second and third instances (2021 and 2022).

Historically, the curriculum in this subject was largely theoretical, with assessments based on tutorial preparation activities, an essay, and an exam. There were noticeable gaps in affording students practical opportunities to apply their knowledge and develop skills given this curriculum design. Therefore, the subject coordinator revised the subject to emphasise problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, teamwork, and communication skills. To do this, however, it was essential to forge industry partnerships where the new curriculum was co-designed alongside industry to ensure the reliability, accuracy and proximity to the practice of any in-class tasks. The revised curriculum¹ comprised two components:

Industry-led workshops

Two industry professionals from financial planning, banking and accounting backgrounds agreed to collaborate in designing and facilitating the revised subject. At the start of the semester, these professionals ran two workshops designed to get to know the students and bridge the gap between applications of knowledge between the workplace and university. Each workshop focused on discussing employability skills and developing pre-professional identities through networking and activities around communication and teamwork. Industry professionals guided small group discussions, and students explored the role of financial planners. Through activities and discussions, students were able to interrogate potential career opportunities and shape an initial expectation of financial planners’ requirements beyond the disciplinary knowledge taught at university.

Group client-advisor simulations with industry

Given the foundational learning and rapport built with the industry partners, students were next given the opportunity to practice and get feedback during a practice task that simulated the professional duties of a financial planner. This activity was also designed to enhance critical thinking, teamwork, and the application of knowledge through problem-solving a given question. First, students were placed in groups and provided with a scenario.² The scenario was co-designed with industry partners over a series of email and Zoom exchanges. The coordinator set out the scenario problem following subject learning outcomes in terms of disciplinary knowledge, which the professionals commented on and made suggestions according to real-world praxis. This process was iterative until the industry professionals, and the coordinator agreed that the task met educational outcomes and provided a realistic example of what students could expect as a practising professional. Using this scenario, student groups prepared for a client/advisor briefing and demonstrated interpersonal skills through presenting information and advice to a simulated client. Each group had the opportunity to practice with another group, assuming both roles (advisor and client) prior to the simulated experience. Groups were given a marking rubric (see Appendix 2) to provide formative peer feedback on their communication skills and discipline knowledge.

After the practice session, groups had a further two weeks to prepare and strategise their approach for the meeting. They needed to ensure the information they provided was accurate and customised to the fictional client in the scenario and to adjust their strategy by reflecting on the peer feedback. In the simulation, industry professionals assumed the role of the clients. They offered time for each group to provide advice, ask questions and build rapport within the meeting. Industry professionals then provided feedback based on the rubric and a professional standpoint to help students develop their employability skills. While the assessment included problem-solving and applications of taxation knowledge to advise clients on financial planning, the focus of the rubric and industry partner’s oral and written feedback was directed towards their support for the learner’s development of employability skills. Therefore, the rubric featured four sections to focus on criteria concerning professionalism, communications, preparedness, and teamwork.

Case study methodology

This research adopted a case study methodology (Yin, 2014) to tailor the design and data collection to the research questions. The case study methodology is neither an exclusive qualitative nor quantitative approach. Instead, it enables investigation into ‘a contemporary phenomenon (the “case”) in depth and within its real-world context’ (Yin, 2014, p. 16). Case studies are prevalent in WIL research, enabling academics to explore problems or interventions within their own contexts to improve practice, advance the scholarly field or investigate a WIL topic (Lucas et al., 2018). A case study methodology allows the researchers to explore different phenomena (for example, pedagogical processes and perceptions of learning) through a range of data collection methods to enable the flexibility of data representation (Lucas et al., 2018).

With approval from the University of Wollongong, Human Ethics Research Committee (HREC2020/216), the study selected two methods to elicit data: (1) pre-and post-subject surveys and (2) analysis of students’ reflections on the task. Two surveys were designed and disseminated (using Qualtrics) over three cohorts (3 years) to elicit a snapshot of students’ perceptions of their employability skills and experiences with the course and, more specifically, with the subject. Both surveys asked qualitative, open questions as well as questions on a 7-point Likert scale,³ similar to other studies in the literature (Dolce et al., 2019; Jackling & De Lange, 2009; Stake, 2005; Stanley & Marsden, 2012; Yin, 2003, 2014; see Appendix 3 for survey questions). They were not designed to elicit in-depth responses but instead to distil a brief report on students’ reported experiences. The first survey was implemented prior to the task, asking about current expectations and experiences as second-year accounting and financial planning students and their thoughts on their access to practising employability skills. In line with previous studies that report on students’ retrospective perceptions of employability and WIL (see Jackson & Wilton, 2017; Jackson & Dean, 2022), the second survey was disseminated after completion of the subject and inquired into perceptions of employability skills after the WIL task and overall confidence to apply disciplinary and employability skills. Descriptive statistics were produced through responses to the Likert scale questions.

To gauge a deeper understanding of experiences, students were invited to share their reflective assessments as part of this research. Reflection is a core process in experiential learning (Kolb, 1984) and is often the cornerstone assessment in WIL programmes (Sykes & Dean, 2013). Analysing reflective assessments is, therefore, an effective method in WIL studies that adopt a case study methodology to explore student learning and perceptions (Lucas et al., 2018). Questions asked in the reflective assessment included: What did you learn about working in a group from this experience? And, overall what did you learn from the WIL experience?

All reflections were anonymised before analysis. The qualitative data derived from the reflections of students provided a valid method of evaluating learning environments given that ‘students are asked about those aspects of teaching environments which they are qualified to comment upon’ (Ballantyne et al., 2000, p. 221), i.e. their own experiences and perceptions. Data was analysed through Excel using inductive coding and thematic analysis (Boyatzis, 1998), following which each author independently reviewed the coded data before engaging in iterative discussions to negotiate, reflect on and confirm the prevalent themes and findings.

Findings

Responses prior to the WIL activity

One hundred and ten students enrolled in the subject over three instances (2020, 2021 and 2022 cohorts) were invited to participate in the first survey distributed in Week 1 of the semester. Forty-three students completed the survey resulting in a 39% response rate (Table 1). Students were asked to respond to questions about industry expectations and students’ experiences in the degree related to employability skills development.

Table 1. Response rate.

Response rate	2020 pre-task survey	2021 pre-task survey	2022 pre-task survey	Total
Students enrolled	42	34	34	110
Student responses	16	17	10	43
Response rate	38%	50%	29%	39%

Students were first asked what types of employability skills in accounting graduates they considered desirable to employers. This question was designed to get a sense of how students perceive the relative importance of employability skills and which employability skills are relevant to get a snapshot of alignment with the literature on industry’s expectations in the discipline. As demonstrated in Table 2, there appeared to be a reasonably consistent response with the literature, noting that students perceived teamwork, communication skills and problem-solving as most important for employers. This matches with employer expectations as outlined in section 2.

Table 2. Pre-task results from 43 responses *7-point Likert scale.

Pre-WIL responses	Statement	% agree	Overall mean across all instances
	Key employability skills that employers are looking for include:
	Ability to work in a team	97.67
	Oral communication	93.02
	Problem-solving skills	88.37
	Ability to foster client relationships	81.40
	Professionalism	86.05
	Initiative	81.40
	Written communication	74.42
	Organisational skills	76.74
	Other	9.30
	*There is an over-emphasis on discipline knowledge at University (i.e. not enough time is spent on multidisciplinary employability skills)		5.51
	*Assessment tasks generally assess disciplinary knowledge, not multidisciplinary skills		5.62
	*There is a strong link between the profession and the university		4.81
	*So far, I believe my course has improved my:
	Communication skills, both oral and written		5.10
	Professional skills (e.g. email etiquette, industry knowledge, adaptability)		5.32
	Teamwork skills		5.22
	Interpersonal skills (e.g. can be transferable as client relation skills)		4.93

Table 2 also sets out key elements of the students’ perceptions of university learning based on their experience so far in terms of overall learning. Students were asked whether they felt there was an over-emphasis on discipline and theoretical knowledge at university, that is, whether or not enough time was committed to developing employability skills. These students responded mostly with agree responses (n = 35). Thinking about the balance of knowledge-based assessments and activities compared to authentic tasks, students were asked whether assessments focussed on discipline knowledge rather than employability skills. The majority agreed that there are more knowledge-based assessments (n = 36), while some others disagreed that there was an over-emphasis on knowledge-based tasks (n = 4). Recalling the opportunities in the course to apply knowledge to practice, students offered a range of responses to whether they felt there was a strong link between the profession and the university in the degree, some positively (n = 29), with others seeing it as a gap (n = 6) and several had a neutral response (n = 7).⁴

Turning to experiences in the course so far, students were asked if, up until this point, their course had developed their employability skills, specifically communication (both oral and written), professionalism and interpersonal. While there was a range of responses, the mean (5.10) shows more students felt that they had had some opportunity to develop communication skills. Students were also asked if the course had developed their professional skills, which returned the highest score (mean 5.32). Similarly, students were asked if the course had developed their teamwork skills (mean 5.22). This polarised some students, with more agreeing (n = 32) than disagreeing (n = 6). Responses were more spread to whether students felt their interpersonal skills had improved in the course (mean 4.93).

Finally, students were invited to share open-text responses on what teachers could do to improve their employability and what type of assessments they believed would best prepare them for current and future professional roles. Of the open text comments received (n = 34), responses varied, but key terms arising were requests for assessments that developed professional skills (n = 10) based on the ‘real-world’ (n = 18). Nine students specifically asked for more ‘practical’ experiences in their course as areas for improvement, with one response linking to graduate outcomes, asking, ‘What are we going to do when we work, write an essay? This is always a let down to employers when interviewing, having no experience with actual accounting’ (20_24⁵). Other open text comments here pointed to WIL activities specifically (n = 2), such as internships and ‘more work-integrated assessment, aiming at workplace orientated work within the assessments’ (21_01) and more contact with industry (n = 6), because ‘some students find it hard to make the leap because they don’t feel like they yet have the knowledge to work practically in the industry’ (21_18). Also calling for teachers to facilitate more interactions with industry professionals, a student suggested: ‘more real-world professionals visiting campus for lectures’ (20_10). Some suggested having more simulations (n = 4), for example, advising clients and ‘assignments where we are required to analyse a client’s situation, an assignment that requires us to do professional writing that we would be expected to do in the workplace’ (22_31).

Several students (n = 10) urged greater attention to developing generic skills, with one student stating they wanted more ‘focus on career relevant learning’ (22_34). However, two students highlighted that more work needs to be done to teach teamwork, for example, ‘the assessments are generally fine, although the teamwork component inevitably results in poorer marks due to contributions (or lack of) by other students’ (20_25). Overall, the comments highlighted students asking for more real-world assessments (n = 18) with a practical application, something different from assessments that focus on just theoretical knowledge, ‘a mix of technical/disciplinary knowledge and practical [activities] that are relevant to the workplace. They need to be balanced and can’t just be practical without demonstrating knowledge’ (20_08). Therefore, students from these cohorts were generally receptive to the assessment offered in this subject.

Responses after the WIL activity

As shown in Table 3, forty-four students over three cohorts responded to the second survey (40% response rate), which was distributed after the task had finished. These questions enquired into students’ perceived improvement and development of employability skills and workplace preparedness due to the subject’s assessments and activities.

Table 3. Post-task scores.

Response rate	2020 post-task survey	2021 post-task survey	2022 post-task survey	Total
Students enrolled	42	34	34	110
Student responses	18	14	12	44
Response rate	43%	41%	35%	40%

Students were invited to respond on a seven-point Likert scale to several statements regarding their development of employability skills. As shown in Table 4, most students agreed that the subject improved their discipline skills, including knowledge of taxation (mean 6.05). Students were asked whether the subject improved their employability skills, and besides one undecided, students agreed that it had (n = 42). A similar pattern of responses was reported for whether students felt that they could apply their disciplinary skills from this subject to new situations, with one undecided and one disagreeing, and all other responses across the agree categories (n = 40). Building on this, students were also asked whether they could apply their employability skills learnt from this subject to new situations, from which most participants responded that they could (mean 6.12).

Table 4. Post-task results from 44 responses using a 7-point Likert scale.

Statement	Overall mean across all instances
The subject has improved my overall disciplinary skills	6.05
The subject has improved my multidisciplinary skills	5.98
This subject has improved my employability	6.02
The WIL assessment task gave me an opportunity to practice the skills I will need in employment	6.57
I can apply disciplinary skills from this subject to new situations	6.17
I can apply transdisciplinary skills from this subject to new situations	6.12
My skills relating to working in teams has improved as a result of this subject	5.67
My interpersonal skills have improved as a result of this subject	5.74
I believe the simulated client/advisor meeting gave a practical dimension to my studies	6.49
The information from the industry-led workshops have improved my professional skills	6.15
The information from the industry-led workshops have improved my client relation skills	6.02
I would like to see more industry workshops in other subjects	6.32
Overall this subject has helped develop my professional self	6.17
I would recommend this subject to other students	6.12

Table 4 highlights results from two specific employability skills, teamwork and interpersonal skills. For both statements, the majority of participants responded favourably that the WIL experience had improved their skills (5.67 and 5.74, respectively).

Reflecting specifically on the industry workshops and simulated client/advisor meetings, students reported high levels of engagement and improvement in skills because of these specific WIL activities, as demonstrated in Table 4. Students were asked if the information and discussions from the industry-led workshops helped their development of professional skills, to which all except three responded that it had (n = 37). Building on this, the survey also asked if the workshops had contributed to improving client relation skills, with the majority agreeing positively (n = 36). Turning to the client/advisor simulation, all except one student agreed that the WIL activity gave a practical dimension to their studies (n = 40).

Students were asked to reflect on whether they would like to see more industry-led workshops in other subjects. The majority of students (n = 38) reported that they would recommend the subject to other students. All participants, except two, agreed that this subject helped develop their professional self (n = 39).

Looking specifically at the question asked pre- and post-WIL for comparison, there has been a marked improvement in students’ perceptions of their professional, teamwork and interpersonal skills – with the most significant increase in professional skills (Table 5).

Table 5. Comparison of pre- and post-task scores.

Statement	Pre-WIL mean	Post-WIL mean	Difference	p-level
This course/class has improved my:
Professional skills	5.32	6.15	0.83	0.00098*
Teamwork skills	5.22	5.67	0.45	0.09307*
Interpersonal skills	4.93	5.74	0.81	0.01097*

* Two-tailed t-test reveals a statistically significant (p-level < 5%) difference between means.

Reflections on group work

Students were invited to reflect on their experiences participating in group work and overall on their WIL task. Seventy-seven students consented to their reflections being analysed for this study, with 16 from the 2020 cohort, 29 from the 2021 cohort, and 32 from the 2022 cohort.

The strongest theme (n = 34) clustered around reflections on the strength in working together. Students articulated this in several ways, such as highlighting different ideas ‘to examine topics from the perspectives of others’ (20_3) and capabilities ‘I learnt the importance of playing to each other’s strengths’ (22_10) and how these ideas extend knowledge, ‘their ideas will then influence my own thinking and broaden my horizons’ (20_3). Working together was seen as favourable compared to working alone, to ‘spark discussion that might not have otherwise occurred if I was for example undertaking the task by myself’ (21_16) and was seen as a reciprocal learning experience, ‘My teammates are not just fellow learners, they are also my teachers’ (20_3). Empathy and understanding underpinned student responses in this cluster, ‘working in a team sometimes means people are at different levels, and it is important to be patient and work through things slowly’ (20_5). The term ‘strength’ appeared several times in this cluster (n = 9), such as ‘I believe we found best roles that fit our strengths’ (22_6), illustrating compassion and awareness of others’ diverse contributions.

The second theme relating to group work is centred on communication skills (n = 28) and time and project management skills (n = 17). Highlighting how the group project helped develop their communication skills, students would either mention this as a statement or expand, for example, ‘Speaking regularly and updating your peers on your work keeps the group moving forward’ (21_11). Using communication skills was also seen as linked to building confidence and using communication to talk to people with various levels of knowledge, ‘including how to discuss concepts to those with differing level of knowledge on the topic’ (21_12). Many lessons on communication, time and project management were recalled by students, such as division of tasks, scheduling but also understanding for other’s lives, ‘communication was also crucial in understanding everyone’s work commitment and personal life to determine when the next meeting can be scheduled’ (22_9). Sometimes, these were reflected as challenges, ‘It was hard to plan catch ups when schedules clashed between group members’ (21_32). For one student, project management skills were required when one member left the group, which required them to ‘reassess how we were now going to handle the project … we handled it the best we could and reassigned roles quickly and efficiently’ (21_4).

The third core theme (n = 22) highlighted how the task helped create, distil and extend students’ knowledge by working in a group. In this cluster, variations of the phrase ‘bounce ideas off one another’ was used four times, showing how students see the value of groups for generating new ideas. One student recalls how different ideas can be challenging but also productive, ‘group members may not always agree on a specific answer or explanation but when you all work together and do more in depth research you may discover answers that neither of you knew about’ (20_10). It was also revealed as appreciating and building on differences, ‘people inevitably approach the question in different ways, draw on past experiences and use different evidence to support their argument … working in a team provides a wholistic understanding’ (22_14). Group work was seen as conducive to productive discussion for idea generation, ‘working in a group also allows for more ideas and discussions around what we are studying’ (20_10) and to facilitate learning. Several students (n = 7) mentioned giving and receiving feedback as useful information for learning about the topic content. A student highlights this feedback by offering an example, ‘I realised that my taxation concept was wrong … Through group work, I have been able to rectify this wrong concept’ (21_10).

The fourth theme from student responses to group work focused on personal accountability (n = 22). Student remarks in this cluster highlighted how important making their own contributions was as it ‘ holds you accountable for the success of your colleagues/teammates’ (21_28). Personal responsibility was also balanced with sentiments on the imperative of group members doing their part, ‘I learnt that group work runs extremely smoothly when you have team members who are committed and eager to complete the assessment’ (21_13). One student reflects on motivation as necessary for group accountability, ‘being proactive in a project is a great way to minimise strain in the group relationship’ (20_15), while another echoes that preparation is required for each person to contribute, ‘need to set a time frame earlier in the piece when relying on other people’ (21_5). Sharing equal workloads emerged several times, ‘I learnt that you can’t do everything, it is not fair on the others in your team and not fair on you. I feel we distributed the workload evenly’ (22_30).

The fifth and final theme highlights the importance of building productive relationships (n = 16). Two areas are brought together in this theme: respect for other’s ideas and circumstances, and enjoyment in getting to know each other. Students’ responses demonstrated their compassion for other’s situations, ‘you have to be considerate with member’s schedules because everyone has something going on’ (21_2). For one student, this meant focused and quick decision making, ‘sometimes things need to be quick and to the point to accommodate to everyone’s personal circumstances’ (21_8). Many reflections highlighted support, joy and excitement for their group, learning, for example, ‘you can really get to know someone through doing a project like this with them’ (20_8) and that group work enables one to ‘connect and build relationships with my group members on a personal level, beyond just working on the assessment’ (21_14).

Overall, there were five dominant themes in response to learning through participating in group work: strength in working together; communication, time and project management skills; extension of knowledge; personal accountability; and building relationships.

Reflections on the WIL task

The second reflective question invited students to consider the overall learnings from the WIL task. In the largest and first theme (n = 51), students recognised the transferability of employability skills. Broadly, ‘teamwork’ and ‘communication’ skills were highlighted as key terms and transferable skills, ‘I feel as though I now understand how just telling someone about their finances can seem rude and be an inefficient way of communicating with clients’ (21_3). Interpersonal skills and relationships with clients were expressed as key skills students found beneficial, with one student noting, ‘being a happy, bubbly and approachable professional willing to be personable can help ease clients with sensitive topics’ (21_27). Developing these interpersonal skills was helpful for less confident students, ‘I appreciated the opportunity to work on my people skills which is something I would naturally avoid’ (21_17). Three international students highlighted communication as valuable, ‘my communication skill would hamper me from having a good conversation with my clients … this project to give me an opportunity to practice and gain a new experience’ (21_9). Six students identified as already working in the profession reflected on the relevancy of the experience for their work, for example, ‘I have had experience presenting to clients in my role at work, however, this exercise taught me a lot about the value of preparatory work and how it boosts confidence’ (21_11). One student, however, found the WIL simulation ‘polarising’ because there were too many ‘chefs in the kitchen all vying for time to speak to the clients’ (21_26). Three students also highlighted the time limitations of the client meeting, requesting more time for the task.

The second theme (n = 45) clusters student’s reflections on their future selves as professionals and for work. Here key phrases ‘future job’ and ‘future career’ were common and framed positively. Some students reflected on their learnt skills and team dynamics of the task to project their approaches as a future professional, ‘this assignment has given much needed professional experience in how I will conduct myself in the workplace’ (21_4). The relevancy of the task was also often associated with the link to future practice, ‘I found this assignment enjoyable and very relevant to our study and future careers’ (20_5).

The third theme revolved around the practical modality of the assessment and the opportunity to practice via the simulation (n = 35). Often students expressed their favouritism for this assessment in contrast to other university assessments, ‘I enjoy doing this more than a typical essay’ (20_15) and ‘it felt like something that may impact my working life rather than just writing an essay’ (21_3). Others offered clear support for the WIL pedagogy, the ‘most beneficial and practical assessment task I have done at university so far’ (20_8) and ‘I personally believe this is one of the most holistic and relevant assessments that I have completed throughout my university journey’ (20_14). Other students agree, ‘It was really nice stepping way from the 12 pt (size), 2,500-word essays with Harvard referencing which do not matter in the workplace, and actually have a chance to “play the part”’ (22_20) and ‘practise (sic) makes perfect’ (21_7). This practising within the subject was seen as a chance to develop and build confidence in a safe environment, as one student recalls, ‘University is a good place to practise all this non-technical skills as it allows me to make mistake and learn from my mistake’ (21_10).

The fourth theme (n = 19) was working with industry partners. Here, students appreciated the opportunity to speak with, learn from and engage with industry partners within the subject, as it had ‘given me the opportunity to speak openly with professionals, providing me with further oral communication skills which is extremely important in practice’ (21_13). Students reflected this as crucial for ‘developing client-advisor relationships in the workplace’ (21_14) and gaining confidence. One student compared this to other assessments, ‘Having industry professionals mark and provide feedback allows me to directly incorporate both the knowledge aspects required for the industry – but more importantly – what cannot be taught in a textbook regarding professionalism and interpersonal skills’ (22_25). This student went on to argue, ‘I strongly encourage the University to incorporate this method onto more subjects’ (22_25).

Therefore, there were four key findings surfaced for this question: transferable knowledge and skills, preparation for future careers, the value of practising through simulation, and appreciation for industry partners.

Discussion and reflections

Our research questions asked to what extent accounting students’ perceived employability skills developed through embedding an industry-led WIL experience into second-year curricula. Findings suggest that students’ perceptions of desirable employability skills were consistent to a large extent with the expectations of employers described in the literature (Jackling & De Lange, 2009; Plant et al., 2019). Students identified teamwork, communication and engaging with industry professionals as key employability skills for their practice as accounting professionals. Prior to undertaking the subject and aligning with existing literature (Sin et al., 2012; Winterton & Turner, 2019), students reported an over-emphasis on discipline or theoretical knowledge in their course. The majority of students reported limited opportunities to engage in authentic tasks during their studies, although such activities are in high demand. We note here that students in this study are in their second year of university, and one could argue that applications of knowledge and skills may be more suited to the final years of study. However, the findings highlight that students desire more practical and authentic experiences earlier in their studies. Embedding employability skills from the first year would address students’ expressed concerns and employer’s requirements for work-ready individuals upon graduation. This is consistent with arguments across higher education literature for a scaffolded approach to employability and WIL pedagogies across the degree (Dean et al., 2020).

In response to the industry-led experiences, findings suggest that these WIL experiences positively impacted perceived employability by the students in the study to a great extent. Students claimed enhanced employability skills and opportunities to apply their disciplinary and generic skills to new situations. Overall, it is encouraging to see that the majority reported professional, teamwork and interpersonal skills as having increased post-task, suggesting that WIL opportunities can be designed to target these skills. The value of the WIL experience was demonstrated in response to the industry-led workshops, which shows students’ perceived importance of directly engaging with industry partners.

In this study, we were also specifically interested in the employability skill of teamwork, a highly sought-after generic skill by employers, often rated as the top skill among the profession (Jackling & De Lange, 2009; Levant et al., 2016; O’Connell et al., 2016) and among professional accreditation bodies (AACSB, 2013). Students reflected the value of learning from others’ varied perspectives and working together as a team for the assignment. Group work is typically a contentious classroom strategy (Opdecam & Everaert, 2012), and while students reported benefits in the process for this activity, there also remains more work to be done.

Reflection is a core component of the learning process in WIL experiences (Sykes & Dean, 2013), and analysis of the reflections suggests the value of reflective assessments as part of sharpening the professional skillset of future accountants. Given the quality of student learning and insights revealed in the reflective assessment, these findings can encourage the use of reflections for post-non-placement WIL experiences, focusing specifically on those skills that educators choose to support and develop in students.

The findings also show that this industry-led experience has value for students’ perceived future work. Several commented that they could see how communicating and presenting to an industry partner created a more realistic professional environment for their learning. Overall, the perceived authenticity of this assignment and the proximity to industry professionals generated positive responses from all students as an essential and relevant subject assessment and experience. It also suggests that industry-led interventions help address the expectations-performance gap in the accounting curriculum as perceived by students. It is current practice in many accounting departments to employ academics instead of professionals in practice, ostensibly to meet accreditation requirements that specify minimum levels of PhD qualified staff (such as the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), 2021). However, educators have attempted to bridge this gap by inviting accounting professionals to deliver webinars and workshops as guest facilitators. More work is required for meaningful engagement with industry partners beyond a guest role in one-off events, but as co-designers, collaborators and even providers of feedback to shape curriculum, learning and the practice of future professionals.

While positive, this study’s findings also highlight the relative ease with which industry-led authentic assessments are implemented in small cohorts (less than 50 students). The subject forming the basis for this study is undergoing changes to form a mandatory component for two majors, with expected cohort sizes to at least double. Given that others may also question the effectiveness and potential for implementation in larger cohorts, we offer some suggestions. First, one must leverage connections, networks and alumni to engage more industry partners – the two participants in this study can only service around 50 students, so more partners are required for more students. There is also the option of partnering with professional bodies that can provide further connection possibilities by reaching out to their own networks. Second, dedicated time slots may be necessary outside lecture and tutorial times. Given that many students are now employed, times after work hours can be offered to provide greater flexibility and offerings for when the task can be completed. This will also need to be supplemented with more educators. In this case, the subject coordinator is also the tutor, so engaging more tutors will also be necessary to ensure the task runs smoothly. Finally, with more students, it may be beneficial to run the industry workshops not during lectures, but as stand-alone ‘careers-fair’ style events, wherein the additional industry partners can provide workshops, seminars, panels or networking opportunities on a larger scale.

Implications

Educators can no longer focus solely on developing disciplinary skills when employers, professional associations and graduates are all demanding more cross-disciplinary competencies that improve student employability (CA ANZ, 2020; CPA Australia, 2018; Daff et al., 2012). Embedding the development of core skills such as communication and teamwork, which are essential for work more generally and for employability more specifically, will be imperative in ensuring graduates are job ready.

This study proffers several practical recommendations for accounting educators who are charged with preparing the next generation of accounting professionals. First, we suggest earlier engagement with opportunities for developing core employability skills, such as teamwork, communication and client relationships. Students could be introduced to a range of authentic individual and group-based tasks from the first year, with low stakes and developmental feedback expressly informing improvement on these skills. Having the opportunity to practice these skills in low-stakes and supportive classroom environments will help students to build confidence over time. However, by leaving WIL experiences to the final year, in a capstone experience, for example, students miss out on a range of networking, learning and practice that is required to build knowledge and skills over time. Instead, we suggest there is value in integrating industry-lead experiences at various stages through the accounting degree.

Second, alongside these early employability opportunities, students need opportunities throughout their degree to reflect on themselves and their pre-professional identities (Jackson, 2016b). This includes a growing awareness and articulation of strengths and skills and making sense of their intended profession through engagements with professionals, career development learning and networking (Jackson, 2016a). Learning about oneself has significant value in determining career trajectories and perceived employability (Cord et al., 2010; Jackson & Wilton, 2017).

Third, WIL is a proven pedagogy for developing employability skills (Jackson & Wilton, 2017). The WIL model outlined in this study was perceived to develop student employability skills as it was co-designed and led by industry. This purposeful industry integration is essential if we are serious about closing the expectations-performance gap in accounting education (Bui & Porter, 2010). Additionally, it does not require students to spend hours within a particular workplace site, making it more accessible and sustainable within the curriculum. We invite accounting educators to consider embedding a range of non-placement WIL activities and engagements with industry partners across the curriculum for a more inclusive, authentic educational experience in accounting.

Conclusions

The gap between employer expectations and university skills development is pervasive (Bui & Porter, 2010; Howcroft, 2017; Webb & Chaffer, 2016). It is widely acknowledged that strong discipline knowledge is no longer enough to secure employment after completing a university degree (Asonitou, 2021). There are calls from industry, professional associations, employers and students for the careful scaffolding and emphasis on highly sought-after cross-disciplinary skills (Barac et al., 2021; Tsiligiris & Bowyer, 2021), especially teamwork and communication (Oosthuizen et al., 2021; Siriwardane & Durden, 2014). To ensure the future viability of the profession, accounting educators need to respond to these calls and embed the development of these skills into authentic assessment collaboration with industry partners who lend realism and practicality to the task. Doing so will give students an opportunity to ‘talk the talk’ as they practise ‘walking the walk’ as future professionals learning from practising professionals.

This paper has sought to examine students’ perceptions before and after an industry-led WIL task on their employability skills to understand the student perceived benefits of integrating industry connections and contributions into the curriculum. Future research into the development of employability skills for accounting students could examine the different perceptions of students depending on whether the task takes place online or face-to-face. It would be interesting to see any meaningful difference, especially given how online is often more inclusive and flexible in its capacity, despite its necessity at times (such as during COVID-19 pivots). Also of interest would be adapting the model for a larger cohort, as highlighted in the discussion, which would require further capacity building to draw upon industry collaborators or partner with professional bodies. Alumnus seeking connections or ways to ‘give back’ to their alma mater could also be considered collaborators. As has been the case in this project, a smaller-scale pilot programme may demonstrate feasibility and value in the project before adapting for larger cohorts.

While this study has focused on student surveys and reflections, future research could take the opportunity to understand industry perceptions and incorporate student responses to such feedback. This could extend to conducting student interviews that provide richer materials to develop our understanding of feedback further. Further, we propose that further investigation is warranted into the translation of WIL models for larger cohorts of students.

Limitations

While this study has provided insight into student perceptions surrounding the evolution of employability skills during a subject, there are some limitations. This study has looked at three iterations of the subject with a relatively small total of 110 students. Research over several more cohorts or subject instances could make the results more generalisable beyond the case study offered here. Further, the WIL intervention has been conducted on a small scale, and the same results may not be replicable for larger cohorts. These limitations should be considered when evaluating the results of this study.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to gratefully thank the anonymous reviewers and participants at both the 2022 AFAANZ – Accounting Education Special Interest Group symposium in Melbourne and the 2022 Australasian Centre for Social and Environmental Accounting Research Conference in Wellington for their helpful comments and suggestions on earlier versions of this paper. The authors acknowledge Professor David Johnstone and Professor Lee Moerman for generously sharing their expertise and assistance in support of this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 For a timeline of the task and its components see Appendix 1.

2 Scenario is available upon request

3 Response options included strongly disagree, disagree, somewhat disagree, neither agree nor disagree, somewhat agree, agree, strongly agree.

4 There are minor discrepancies in numbers as some students did not answer every question. These responses were still included in the analysis after a methodological decision to include responses that answered over 50% of the survey questions.

5 To anonymise student responses, the first number indicates year and the second indicates response number. 20_24 refers to response number 24 from the 2020 cohort.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Table

[SUBJECT NAME}		Student Name …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …
2021 Assessment 2 WIL simulated client/advisor meeting		Group Number …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  … ..
Marking rubric (ORAL)		Total Mark …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  …  … ..
	Below expectations – fail grade (0–1 marks)	Meets expectations – pass to credit grade (2–3 marks)	Exceeds expectations – distinction to high distinction grade (4–5 marks)	Total
Professionalism
Greeting	Student does not greet the client or introduce themselves	Student greets the client and introduces themselves	Student warmly greets the client and introduces themselves in a friendly, professional manner	/5
Rapport	Student does not establish rapport with the client	Student is able to carry on the conversation but it can be stilted with awkward pauses	Student establishes a strong rapport with the client	/5
Persona	Student is reserved when speaking to clients leaving them in doubt of their skills	Student is confident and respectful when speaking giving clients a positive perception of their skills.	Student is confident and polished when speaking, giving clients a positive perception of their skills. Confidentiality is addressed, establishing trust	/5
Communication
Etiquette	Student occasionally speaks out of turn or interrupts, or otherwise shows disrespect to the other participants	Student occasionally speaks out of turn, but generally speaks at appropriate times and shows respect to the other participants	Student acts as a model meeting participant, speaking only at appropriate times, and showing respect to all other participants	/5
Participation	Student does not participate, or merely repeats information	Student actively participates in meeting, speaks more than once and adds new information or questions	Student actively participates in simulated meeting, speaking multiple times and adding new information/evidence/questions each time	/5
Active listening and response	Student does not provide a response to any statement or repeats what others have said	Student demonstrates active listening skills by providing responses to other statements but asks few or no questions	Student demonstrates active listening skills by providing thoughtful responses addressing specific aspects of other students’ statements, including asking questions	/5
Preparedness
Quality of presentation as evidence of preparation	Student is somewhat or not familiar with their role and provides little indication of preparation by giving irrelevant or no advice	Student is familiar with their role and gives relevant advice	Student is very familiar with their role and gives detailed, relevant information to the client indicating a broad depth of knowledge	/5
Teamwork
How well did the group work together and present a united front?	The group acts as individuals with little to no evidence of prior interactions	The group works well together, with evidence that they have worked together before	The group works seamlessly giving equal treatment to all members and displaying respect for each other. It is apparent that the group has prepared for the role together	/5
Total Mark				/40

Appendix 3

Pre-WIL task survey

7-point Likert scale questions: 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = mildly disagree 4 = neutral, 5 = mildly agree 6 = agree, and 7 = strongly agree.

1. Key employability skills that employers are looking for include (please select all that apply) [list of skills]

2. There is an overemphasis on discipline knowledge at University (i.e. not enough time is spent on multidisciplinary employability skills)

3. Assessment tasks generally assess disciplinary knowledge, not multidisciplinary skills

4. There is a strong link between the profession and the university

5. So far, I believe my course has improved my communication skills, both oral and written

6. So far, I believe my course has improved my professional skills (e.g. email etiquette, industry knowledge, adaptability)

7. So far, I believe my course has improved my teamwork skills

8. So far, I believe my course has improved my interpersonal skills (e.g. can be transferable as client relation skills)

9. What could teachers do to improve your employability? [open ended]

10. What types of assessments could the university offer to better prepare you for your current/future professional roles? [open ended]

Post-WIL task survey

7-point Likert scale questions: 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = mildly disagree 4 = neutral, 5 = mildly agree 6 = agree, and 7 = strongly agree.

11.	The subject has improved my overall disciplinary skills
12.	The subject has improved my multidisciplinary skills
13.	This subject has improved my employability
14.	The WIL assessment task gave me an opportunity to practice the skills I will need in employment
15.	I can apply disciplinary skills from this subject to new situations
16.	I can apply transdisciplinary skills from this subject to new situations
17.	My skills relating to working in teams has improved as a result of this subject
18.	My interpersonal skills have improved as a result of this subject
19.	I believe the simulated client/advisor meeting gave a practical dimension to my studies
20.	The information from the industry led workshops have improved my professional skills
21.	The information from the industry led workshops have improved my client relation skills
22.	I would like to see more industry workshops in other subjects
23.	Overall this subject has helped develop my professional self
24.	I would recommend this subject to other students
25.	Overall, which aspect of the subject was of most assistance to your learning [Select from list/Open ended]
26.	Do you have any suggestions for future improvements to the workshops or simulated client/advisor meeting? [Open ended, Optional]

(Questions developed from Stanley & Marsden, 2012, p. 287).