Competence Development and Employability Expectations: A Gender Perspective of Mobility Programmes in Higher Education

Francisca Rosa Álamo-Vera,José Luis Ballesteros-Rodríguez,Petra De Saá-Pérez,Lidia Hernández-López

doi:10.3390/admsci10030074

Francisca Rosa Álamo-Vera, José Luis Ballesteros-Rodríguez + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci10030074

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Abstract

This paper analyses the role of study-abroad programmes in higher education by examining how students’ participation can foster competence development and employability expectations. Our research focuses on the acquisition of competences through the international mobility programme Erasmus+ of 191 students of an undergraduate programme in tourism, considering the different perceptions of male and female students. Our results confirm that five out of the six competences which students develop through Erasmus+ mobility have a positive and significant influence on their employability expectations. Our findings also confirm that male and female students have different perceptions concerning the influence on their employability expectations of those competences acquired during their experience studying abroad.

Highlights

As Chan et al (2017) pointed out, the study of generic skill programmes, especially soft skills, in addition to disciplinary knowledge, is a worldwide phenomenon. Marsh and Bishop (2014) highlighted that competences are a topic of interest and research for educators
From the results of the Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) for the nineteen items regarding the competencies developed through the Erasmus+ Programme by tourism students, six factors are obtained that explain 67.76% of the variance
The work analyses the experience of international mobility through the Erasmus+ Programme and its relationship with the employability expectations of tourism students, considering gender differences

Summary

Introduction

As Chan et al (2017) pointed out, the study of generic skill programmes, especially soft skills, in addition to disciplinary knowledge, is a worldwide phenomenon. Marsh and Bishop (2014) highlighted that competences are a topic of interest and research for educators. An educational experience abroad allows for improving opportunities in the labour market (Bracht et al 2006; Brooks and Waters 2011; Kumpikaitė and Duoba 2013) because those competencies acquired abroad are a crucial factor that can influence the attainment of a job (Coleman 2011; Crossman and Clarke 2010) In this sense, there are differences between the competences acquired by students who go abroad and those who do not, and there is a positive relationship between the international experience and job opportunities for students (Alfranseder et al 2012). Compared to non-mobile students, Brandenburg et al (2015) found out that

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