Facilitating Employability: The Role of Internships, Professional Practices in Industry, and Educational Partners in Engineering Programs
Academic Article in Scopus
Graduate employability remains a strategic priority for higher education institutions seeking to align academic outcomes with labor market demands. In response, universities are increasingly integrating experiential learning into their curricula to ensure that students acquire not only disciplinary knowledge but also workplace-relevant competencies. This study investigates the impact of internships and professional placements-developed in collaboration with industry and educational partners-on the employability outcomes of engineering graduates. A mixed methods approach was adopted, combining quantitative data from over 1,700 respondents in graduate follow-up surveys (conducted three months after graduation) with qualitative insights drawn from in-depth student interviews. The quantitative component analyzed correlations between internship participation and employment status, while the qualitative dimension explored how students perceived the development of professional competencies during their placements. Regression analysis revealed that internship participation explained approximately 67 % of the variance in graduate employability, with the model yielding statistically significant coefficients. Furthermore, a substantial percentage of graduates reported securing employment within three months of completing their studies. Disciplines such as Civil Engineering, Information Technology, and Digital Business Transformation Engineering stood out for achieving nearcomplete placement rates. These findings underscore the pivotal function of internships in enhancing student employability. The provision of experiential learning opportunities is conducive to the development of practical skills, the application of theoretical knowledge in real-world contexts, and the cultivation of professional networks. The active collaboration between universities and external partners not only supports student transitions into the workforce but also strengthens the relevance and responsiveness of academic programs to labor market needs.
