Employability Skills Development for Undergraduate Accounting Students Using a Business Simulation Game: A Case Study of the Use of Accounting BISSIM

Abstract

This paper provides a case study of the use of the Accounting Bissim business simulation game to develop accounting undergraduate students’ employability skills at two UK universities: Aston University and De Montfort University. The authors, who co-developed the Accounting Bissim simulation in 2015, explain how their use of the simulation supports the development of the 11 key skills sought by modern employers (CMI, 2021) within both a second-year course at Aston University, in which employability skills development is the primary focus, and a final year course at De Montfort University, in which employability skills development is a secondary objective. The paper also includes some preliminary evidence of student perceptions of the impact of the simulation on their skills development. The paper responds to a gap in the literature as there is very limited evidence of the use of business simulation games for employability skills development in accounting programs.