Revisiting accounting internships : a case study within a Big 4 firm

Abstract

Purpose: This research aims to gather feedback from current and prior interns on their internship experience at one of Malta’s Big Four firms. It also seeks to assess whether there is still a skills gap between employer demands and accounting graduates’ skills. Lastly, it aims to congregate opinions on the implemenation of work-integrated learning in accounting at the University of Malta. Recommendations will be given on how to improve the said internship, on how the skills gap can be narrowed and on whether work placements should be integrated within the curriculum. Design: Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior managers and an HR representative from the firm, and an academic from the University of Malta. Furthermore, two focus groups were carried out with fourth-year interns and with postgraduates who were previously interns and are now full-time employees at the firm. Findings: The study revealed that current interns had negative internship experiences, while the postgraduates had positive experiences. Additionally, the skills gap is still present, however it is not as pervasive as previously anticipated. Lastly, the majority of participants agreed that work placements should be introduced, due to the numerous associated benefits. Conclusions: The study concludes that the internship at the firm could improve through more skill-enhancing tasks. Furthermore, the skills gap may be bridged by improving internships and by addressing discrepancies in the accounting curriculum at the University. Work placements should be implemented since they improve the integration of firms and academia, providing more structure to internships and making the curriculum more industry-relevant. Value: Accounting internships are vital for students to gain additional skills before graduation, so gathering information on interns' experiences can help ensure that they are as effective as possible. The skills gap is a well documented problem, and this study highlights the reasons and the solutions to this issue in the local context. Finally, many universities use work placements as valuable learning tools; therefore, appropriate personnel can make a more informed decisions about their implementation by examining the benefits and issues involved.