Internship Program as an Aid: Bridging the Gap Between Accountancy Education and Industry Demand

Abstract

This study assessed the effectiveness of internship programs in bridging the gap between accountancy education and industry demand and whether the experience, skills, and knowledge gained through the program are relevant to industry’s expectations and needs. Two research methods were employed in this study, Narrative Research for phase one and Triangulation Method for phase 2. A total of ten (10) participants from a certain university in Pampanga were interviewed using the interview questionnaires. The results showed that the Internship Program offered by the university lessen the gap between accountancy education and industry demand by providing them a learning opportunity on how to apply the accounting principles and theories in real-life scenarios. The major themes that emerged from the study were: (1) knowledge and understanding of fundamentals accounting principles; (2) accounting software and system utilization and (3) soft skills and hard skills development. The recommendations based on the concluded results were: (1) accounting systems and tools should be introduced and taught in the universities with actual activities with its usage; (2) conduct an additional workshops and seminars for soft skills development and (3) collaboration of universities and host training establishments (HTE).