Employability and career learning through an industry-led masterclass

Purpose The aim of this paper is to examine how an industry-led skills masterclass impacts employability skills development among second-year accounting students, addressing the growing demand for enhancing graduate employability. Design/methodology/approach The study analysed 90 student reflections using social cognitive career theory as a framework to assess how integrating career and employability development through an industry-led masterclass affects students’ self-efficacy, outcome expectations and career goal setting. Findings The industry-led masterclass approach significantly boosts students’ professional self-efficacy, technical abilities and soft skills, contributing to a broader skill set beyond conventional accounting knowledge. The intervention proved particularly effective as a scalable and inclusive alternative to traditional work-integrated learning, successfully accommodating diverse student needs, including those of international and working students. Originality/value The study presents a novel, practical model for industry partnership in accounting education that can be implemented at scale. It contributes to discussions about accounting curricula’s relevance by demonstrating how targeted industry-led interventions can effectively bridge the theory-practice gap and prepare entire student cohorts for evolving workforce demands, particularly valuable given declining enrolments and the evolving demands of the workforce.