Topical Skills for Accounting Graduates within Changing Business Environment: Stakeholders’ Satisfaction Levels in Rwanda

Abstract

Institution managers have always been seeking competent accountants and accounting technicians to fill the gaps created by the requirements of changing business environment and criticize the existing skills of newly graduated and less experienced accounting job aspirants from Rwandan  Institutions of Higher Learning. This paper analyses the satisfaction levels of various stakeholders in Rwanda towards the skills held by accounting-employees and employers’ expectations, as this could remedy to the competence gap between the job market demand and human resource availability in accounting field. The target population includes the managers of selected institutions in Rwanda, the accountants employed by these institutions and the heads of departments in higher learning institutions delivering accounting programs. The sample was chosen randomly from each stratum of population from the selected districts. The study discovers that the competences acquired are not appropriate to fulfil the necessary skills required in accounting job. Collaboration between accounting firms and academic institutions is needed to synergize accounting practical training with theoretical learning in the classroom. Accountants will also have to equip with other extra knowledge and soft skills (information technology, critical thinking and effective communication) to match the market needs.

Key Words: Business environment, competences, topical skills, accountants, accounting technicians, employers’ requirements,