A pilot study to identify skills shortages that exist in first-year trainee accountants in South Africa
Abstract
This study aims to determine the skills shortages in first-year
trainee accountants entering practice in South Africa and to recommend
ways to address and overcome those shortages. Questionnaires were
administered to registered audit firms in Gauteng Province to gather the
perceptions of senior trainees, managers and partners on the skills
shortages in first-year trainee accountants. The overall view was that
universities did not equip first-year trainees sufficiently with the skills
to be successful in practice, especially with regard to professional
communication and exposure to computer accounting software packages.
It is argued that professional bodies and universities should work together
to overcome these skills shortages.