The evolving demands of the accounting profession, driven by technological advancement, regulatory complexity, and changing organizational expectations, have reshaped the competencies required of entry-level accountants. Guided by Human Capital Theory, this study examined employer expectations of entry-level accounting competencies in commerce and industry in Olongapo City, Philippines. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was utilized to capture both measurable competency priorities and contextual explanations from employers involved in hiring and supervision. Quantitative data were collected from 40 employers using a validated survey instrument aligned with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum Order No. 27, particularly Section 6.3, which specifies the recommended competencies of Bachelor of Science in Accountancy graduates. The instrument assessed employer expectations in three competency areas: professional knowledge, professional skills, and professional values, ethics, and attitude. These areas reflect the graduates’ ability to solve business problems with accounting expertise, conduct research, use technology in decision-making, respond to assessments, and maintain ethical and socially responsible practices. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to inspect the importance of competency and its associations with business demographics. Qualitative data were subsequently gathered through open-ended responses and analyzed thematically to explain and enrich the quantitative findings. Results indicate that while professional knowledge remains an essential foundation for entry-level accountants, it is not the primary determinant of employability. Employers place stronger emphasis on professional skills—particularly analytical thinking, communication, teamwork, adaptability, and time management—and most critically, on professional values, ethics, and attitude. Integrity, confidentiality, objectivity, and ethical judgment emerged as universally important across industries and organizational sizes. Significant associations were found between certain competency expectations and business characteristics, such as years of operation and industry type, particularly for professional knowledge and skills. However, ethical expectations remained consistent across organizational contexts. The findings suggest that accounting education should integrate its focus with a predominantly technical emphasis to a more balanced approach that integrates skills development and ethical formation. By providing localized empirical evidence, this study helps bridge the gap between accounting education and labor market expectations. It offers practical insights for enhancing the curriculum, fostering industry collaboration, and improving graduate employability.
Radovan et al. (Fri,) studied this question.