The Relationship between Skills Development, Internship Programs and Accounting Graduates’ Employability in Malaysia

Abstract

Upon entering the workforce, accounting graduates in Malaysia face significant challenges, including a slight decline in graduate employability from 90.2% in 2022 to 89.8% in 2023. This study examines how skills development (technology and interpersonal skills) and internship programs affect the employability of Malaysian accounting graduates. Grounded in Human Capital Theory, this study uses a quantitative design and an online survey distributed to accounting graduates across Malaysia. The study used SPSS to analyse a final sample of 390 valid responses. The study found that employees had a high level of technical and experiential preparedness. While technology skills, interpersonal skills, and internship programs are strongly and positively associated with graduate employability, interestingly, interpersonal skills exhibited the strongest predictive contribution. These findings show that while technology competencies and hands-on internship experience are essential in the digital era, interpersonal soft skills primarily drive graduate marketability. Higher education institutions (HEIs) must proactively reform accounting curricula, in collaboration with professional bodies, to integrate advanced digital technologies, communication workshops, and structured internship models.