مقاله انگلیسی رایگان در مورد دوره کارآموزی گردشگری و مهمان نوازی – الزویر 2018

Despite their assumed benefits, negative internship experiences have been reported amongst tourism and hospitality students, which in turn minimise the likelihood of pursuing a career in the industry. This study explores the influence of internship experiences on the career intentions of tourism and hospitality management students. Drawing upon qualitative data, the article highlights the multi-faceted and complex nature of graduates’ career decision-making and reveals that an interplay of factors influences the relationship between internship experiences and students’ career intentions. Important insights are offered that contribute to the understanding of aspects relevant to internships’ efficient design and informed management.

Introduction

In an era of socio-economic and political uncertainty and turbulence, whereby the global economic landscape is constantly changing, the importance of graduate employability has been elevated. Universities have been called to address the pressing issue of career preparation by embedding skill-development elements in curricula (Wilton, 2012). In this respect, internships have proven a popular work-integrated learning experience that facilitates the transition of students from higher education to employment and contributes to their career development (Silva et al., 2016). For instance, internships may improve students’ perceptions of job fit (Allen, 2011) and enhance graduates’ job satisfaction (Gault, Leach, & Duey, 2010). Defined as “a short-term period of practical work experience wherein students receive training as well as gaining invaluable job experience in a specific field or potential career of their interest” (Zopiatis & Theocharous, 2013:34), internships are viewed as a valuable component of the learning cycle due to their numerous benefits. From a pedagogical perspective, internships enable students to gain practical experience (Chang & Chu, 2009), develop skills that would be difficult to acquire in the classroom (Daniels & Brooker, 2014) and utilise networking opportunities that may improve graduates’ employment prospects (Alpert, Heaney, & Kuhn, 2009). Additionally, internships have been found to improve the academic performance of students and lead to increased motivation towards study (Crawford & Wang, 2016; Jones, Green, & Higson, 2017). In turn, interns may bring innovative ideas to the participating organisation and allow companies to reduce recruitment and retention costs by exploring the potential in the market (Garcia-Aracil & Velden, 2008; Govender & Taylor, 2015). Internships also impart advantages to educators as links between academic institutions and the industry are strengthened and educators update course content in line with industry needs (Zopiatis, 2007). The value of internships is particularly noticeable within tourism and hospitality, where the dynamic and multidisciplinary nature of the industry requires that human capital possesses a variety of skills. A highly competitive environment, constant change and the disparate nature of the industry pose as challenges to the recruitment and retention of a skilled labour force and reinforce the need for a diversely trained workforce, with skills that can span across sectors (Kim, 2014; Robinson, Ruhanen, & Breakey, 2015).