Involving University Stakeholders in Upgrading the Fostering of Students’ Readiness to Embark on a Career

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to identify how stakeholders of higher education can influence the quality of the educational process and students’ readiness to embark on a career. The study used qualitative and quantitative methods sequentially with the quantitative method predominating. It relied on a survey research design and quasi-experiment with some features of a descriptive case study such as conducting observations by the external stakeholders and administering measurements. The study addressed the issues related to curriculum governance, instruction, learning assessment, and teaching resources. It also eliminated the loopholes in lecturers’ attempts to foster the students’ readiness to build a career. It enabled an objective and unbiased evaluation of the overall students’ professional efficacy during the students’ job internships. The baseline survey showed that the students and lecturers reported that they experienced limited satisfaction with the programmes. The self-branding project influenced the students’ academic efficiency and career development skills positively. The mean value for the effect size 𝑑 was 0.67, indicating that it was large and statistically significant. The observation report provided by representatives of the host organizations implied that the representatives of the host companies were generally pleased with the quality of the occupational readiness of the students. The study will benefit the researchers and practitioners in terms of building long-term relationships and sharing responsibility for the quality of professional training of the students.