STUDENT PRACTICUM PROGRAM: THE WORK EXPERIENCES OF TOURISM ALUMNI IN DLSU-D

Abstract

An internship or Student Practicum is a program offered in universities that gives students an opportunity to experience the professional environment of their chosen fields. The researchers identified the demographic profile, benefits, and satisfactory levels of alumni in De La Salle University-Dasmariñas under the Tourism Management Department who underwent their practicum abroad. To fill in the gaps, this research study investigated the program's areas for improvement and the issues the respondents ran into throughout their practicum. This will provide the DLSU-D institution with a framework for how to manage students who will participate in practicum programs. The research design used in this study is a descriptive survey because this research design combines quantitative and qualitative data. Descriptive statistics such as means and standard deviation were used to determine the satisfaction level in the Practicum Program. The survey conducted by the researchers found that the practicum program has advantages for employability, knowledge, and skill development, the respondents were generally happy with the practicum program's learning outcomes and working conditions, and the respondents said there were several issues with the practicum program. The perceived problems were not significant enough to negatively impact their overall experience with the program.