Enhancing employability of accounting graduates in Uganda and Nigeria by Integrating Employability Skills into Accounting Education using Work-Integrated Learning Approach

forthcoming

Employers in Uganda & Nigeria have continuously lamented the failure of HEIs to equip accounting graduates with the skills required by modern business environment. Hence, the goal of the DESIRED project is to align accounting graduates’ competencies with labour market requirements, thereby enhancing their employability. Specific Project objectives: 1. To build capacity of 4 HEIs [2 Ugandan & 2 Nigerian] in using Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) pedagogy in accounting education. 2. To establish a cooperation framework for accounting education among the 4 participating HEIs in Uganda and Nigeria 3. To institutionalize ‘accounting education - industry engagements’ at the participating HEIs in Uganda and Nigeria. 4. To assess the extent to which WIL can be embedded in accounting education to meet demands of contemporary employers. 5. To promote accounting education as a diverse business and management discipline among employers & students. Key activities: 1. Project Management & Coordination of the Consortium 2. Designing an Accounting Education Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Quality Control Framework 3. Design and implement Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) activities 4. Industry Engagements & Employer Relationships Building 5. HEIs Capacity Building, Students & Staff Knowledge Exchanges 6. Learning, International Mobility & Cross-cultural Exchanges 7. Impact, Communication & Dissemination Target beneficiaries Over 3,000 students & staff in Uganda’s and Nigeria’s HEIs will benefit from capacity building, industry placements, & established cooperation frameworks in using Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) pedagogies, research & teaching accounting. The EU partners will benefit through international cooperation & Knowledge exchange with African partners. Private sector partners will provide the consortium with access to a network of industry professionals, facilitating WIL opportunities for students & staff. These practitioners will also get candidates for their employment vacancies. Project Outputs: 1. A Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Quality Control framework for accounting students 2. An Accounting Education cooperation framework between African participating HEIs 3. Guidelines on applying WIL Pedagogy in Accounting Curricula 4. Manuals / templates for assessing accounting students based on WIL 5. Improved and revised course content and materials in accounting and finance. 6. New and revised institutional policy guidelines for engaging with industry partners in accounting education Outcomes (i) Students develop accounting professional identity & employability capabilities from the onset of their course of study (ii) Accounting students are better prepared for early talent identification programs and recruitment schemes. E.g., ‘Graduate Into Employment’ schemes of most recruiters. (iii) Access to quality and responsive accounting education thus encouraging and enabling African students & staff to undertake accounting studies at all levels within the African continent. Impact: • Reduced unemployment rates of accounting graduates • Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) experiences are formalized into standard academic course units where students accrue credit points towards their nal degree /diploma component • Establishment of various forms of industry-academia collaborations beyond accounting education to promote student employability