Perspectives of Non-Traditional University Graduates on Internships: Skills, Employability and Transition to the Labour Market in Spain

Employability has become a principal aim of universities in Europe and beyond. In this context, internships are a central strategy for the promotion of employability. This qualitative study, conducted in Spain and based on biographical-narrative interviews, focuses on the voices and experiences of 2...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Muñoz García, Isabel María, González Monteagudo, José
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:España
Recursos:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/102248
Acesso em linha:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/102248
https://doi.org/10.22481/praxisedu.v16i41.#7214
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Employability
Internships
Non-traditional graduates
Descrição
Resumo:Employability has become a principal aim of universities in Europe and beyond. In this context, internships are a central strategy for the promotion of employability. This qualitative study, conducted in Spain and based on biographical-narrative interviews, focuses on the voices and experiences of 25 non-traditional university graduates, all from the field of social sciences, on employability, internships, and skills. The data collected are analysed based on four categories: training received at the university; influence of internships on employability; assessment of the internships; and perspectives on skills in demand and mismatches between graduate profiles and labour market demands. Graduates feel the internships has not helped in the transition to the workplace. Graduates have criticised the lack of connection between university and workplace, the short duration of internships, and the insufficient focus on professional and transversal skills. The results also suggest that universities should develop more initiatives to improve internships, working in coordination with employers and other stakeholders.