Student profiles and the development of employability skills in innovation environments

Objective: This study aimed to identify the skills required of accountants to work in innovation environments and to compare their predisposition to develop such skills in a multidisciplinary sample of undergraduate students. Method: Data on desirable skills were collected from job advertisements and through interviews with managers. A questionnaire was applied to collect data on student profiles, yielding 465 responses. The content of the advertisements and the results of the interviews were analyzed using a multiple linear regression model to understand the relationships between students' characteristics and their predisposition to develop the required skills. Results: The results showed that technology and technology-based companies value a set of skills that can be divided into two main categories: (i) intrapersonal skills, which include dynamism, autonomy, attention to detail, proactivity, resilience, adaptability, and hands-on skills; and (ii) interpersonal skills, which include oral and written communication, empathy, and teamwork. The profiles of the students in the sample showed that genders were similarly distributed, the participants were on average 25 years old, and most were white, single, enrolled in evening programs, and had attended less than two years of coursework. The analysis of the relationship between student profiles and predisposition to develop skills revealed that characteristics such as program shift, marital status, gender, extroversion, and sensation function influence this predisposition. Contributions: This study presents significant contributions, as it fosters debate on teaching with an emphasis on employability skills. Furthermore, by revealing the importance of these skills and providing information to support curriculum development, it aids in training more qualified professionals. For employers, educators, and program coordinators, it can support planning and highlight the need for teaching methods that serve all students in diverse ways.