Accounting Soft Skills Training and Retraining and Employment Success of Business Education Graduates in Rivers State

Abstract

The study investigated training and retraining in accounting soft skills and the employment success of Business Education graduates in Rivers State. Two research questions and two corresponding hypotheses guided the study. The population consisted of 64 graduates from the Department of Business Education, Rivers State University. A census sampling technique was used, resulting in a sample size of 64 graduates, representing 100% of the population. Data were collected using self-structured instruments titled ‘‘Training and Retraining in Accounting Soft Skills Questionnaire’’ (TRASSQ) and Employment Success of Business Education Graduates in Rivers State Questionnaire (ESBEGRSQ). The instruments were validated by experts, and reliability was confirmed using the Cronbach Alpha method, yielding reliability coefficients of .75 and .71 respectively. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), and the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was employed to answer the research questions and test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that training and retraining in professional ethics skills and time management skill relate with employment success of Business Education graduates in Rivers State. The study concluded that continuous investment in these soft skills meaningfully improves graduates’ employability and workplace performance. It was recommended, among others, that Higher Education Institutions should regularly review and update their curricula to include practical modules on professional ethics, time management, and adaptability soft skills.