THE ROLE OF WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS AMONG GRADUATES IN KAZAKHSTAN
Loading...
Date
2022-04
Authors
Abildina, Anar
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education
Abstract
Work-integrated learning has been identified as an important experience that promotes
employability skills development and prepares students for employment. However, research
on internships, as part of the work-integrated learning in general, and on the role of
pedagogical internships in the development of employability skills and preparation for
employment among university graduates in Kazakhstan remains scarce. This study aims to fill
this gap by examining pedagogical university graduates’ experiences of undertaking
internships and their employability skills development. Concerning the growing attention on
the development of the pedagogical sphere in our country, this research applies a case study
design and identifies the experience of teaching specialization graduates from one national
higher education institution in the south of Kazakhstan. Drawing on individual
semi-structured interviews with fifteen university graduates and two university administrators,
this study explores the role of work-integrated learning, specifically internship programs, in
developing employability skills and preparation for employment. In addition, the research
identifies the benefits and challenges of internships and provides recommendations for their
improvement. This study argues that participation in internships is beneficial for individuals’
employability skills development and preparation for future jobs. However, the findings
demonstrate that the top-down management approach at some internship sites remains the
main barrier to experiencing effective internships within the workplace. Among the
employability skills that participants developed more are communication, responsibility, organizational skills, and adaptability. This study may be beneficial to several stakeholders,
such as students, internship coordinators, university practitioners, and policymakers. In
addition, this study may promote awareness about the importance of work-integrated learning
in the development of employability skills in general. Furthermore, considering the scarcity of
research on the importance of work-integrated learning to employability skills development in
the post-Soviet space, this study may contribute to the expansion of global research on the
importance and challenges in implementing work-integrated learning practice from within a
non-western context.
Keywords: employability skills, work-integrated learning, internships, higher
education institutions, university graduates, Kazakhstan
Description
Keywords
employability skills, work-integrated learning, internships, higher education institutions, university graduates, Kazakhstan, Type of access: Gated Access
Citation
Abildina, A. (2022). The Role of Work-Integrated Learning in the Development of Employability Skills among Graduates in Kazakhstan (Unpublished master's thesis). Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan