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Busby (2003) Tourism Degree Internships A Longitudinal Study
Busby (2003) Tourism Degree Internships A Longitudinal Study
Graham Busby
To cite this article: Graham Busby (2003) Tourism degree internships: a longitudinal study,
Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 55:3, 319-334, DOI: 10.1080/13636820300200232
GRAHAM BUSBY
University of Plymouth, United Kingdom
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also remarked on by Fell & Kuit (2003). For institutions, there are indirect
benefits arising from contacts with industry personnel, the possibility of
industry inputs into course development, and increased liaison leading to
improved course provision (Leslie & Richardson 2000).
Despite the advantages to the various stakeholders, there is no
escaping the fact that good internships are both expensive and difficult to
acquire and monitor (Teixeira & Baum, 2001; Collins, 2002). For Teixera &
Baum (2001), the single biggest connection between universities and
industry is considered to be the internship. At the University of
Plymouth, data now exists for Tourism Management internship
employment over a period of 9 years; this permits analysis of trends by
sector, salary and skills acquired. The internship was made an optional
component of the degree in 1998; however, undergraduates have always
been advised of its value in terms of rapid employment after graduation.
Empirical studies of graduates from a number of United Kingdom
institutions confirm that placements are a key factor in securing relevant
employment (Purcell et al, 1999); see also Kiely & Ruhnke (1998) with
regard to business studies degrees. The extensive survey by Harvey et al
(1997, p. 2), of employers and graduates, found that ‘if there was to be a
single recommendation to come from the research, it would be to
encourage all undergraduate programmes to offer students an option of a
year-long work placement’.
The effect of making the internship optional is noticeable, with many
in the first cohort to be provided with the choice (1999/2000) electing not
to undertake one. It appeared that numbers were recovering (see Table I);
however, out of a reduced potential 23 placement students, only two
made this choice in 2002 and five in 2003. The advent of tuition fees, with
half the normal amount being payable when on placement, has
undoubtedly affected this, an observation also made by Fell & Kuit (2003).
Furthermore, some students have elected to undertake a form of ‘gap’
year between the second and final years, suspending their studies and,
therefore, not being liable for the tuition fee element. At this juncture, it is
worth elaborating that the internship was made optional in order to fall
into line with other HEIs. The point to be made here is that there has
been no difficulty in ‘obtaining a varied range of placements to meet the
total required’ (Leslie & Richardson, 2000, p. 492), although it has been
time-consuming from the staff input perspective. It is also worth noting
that students frequently have unrealistic expectations as to the nature of
vacancies (Cave, 1997).
In terms of remuneration, there is recognition, by some students,
that a lower-paid internship with a nationally renowned employer looks
good on a curriculum vitae, suggesting a certain level of instrumentalism
(Silver & Brennan, 1988) on the part of a few. To those individuals, the
year out is clearly vocationally oriented, rather than simply fiduciary. The
internship provides the procedural knowledge that Tribe (1997, p. 639)
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Notes:
In the occasional case of a multiple placement, the location of the longest
employment has been counted; for example, 4 months in a United Kingdom
location and 8 months in Florida.
The second-year cohort size, which provides the placement students, has not
changed significantly over the 9 years, typically between 29 and 33.
Transferable Skills
Many of the skills acquired during the internship are ‘transferable’. These
have been identified by Hitchcock (1987), Greenan et al (1997) and the
Dearing Report (1997), amongst others. Gibbs et al (1994) identify 12
transferable skills, although all but ‘entrepreneurship’ are subsumed
within the following: team-working, communication, interpersonal,
problem-solving ability, organisational, information technology,
numeracy and learning how to learn. It is suggested that these skills are
essential for employment (National Board of Employment, Education and
Training [NBEET], 1992; Bridges, 2000) and, arguably, the internship is
the most appropriate vehicle for their acquisition. Certainly for the
development of practical skills, the internship is crucial (Purcell & Quinn,
n.d., p. 11). The study of tourism courses across nine institutions,
undertaken by Leslie & Richardson (2000), indicated limited skills
development in information technology, presentation and writing,
whereas customer relations and oral communication were well
developed; as they point out, this almost certainly reflects the high
proportion of students working in an operations environment. With
regard to information technology, it is how graduates ‘identify or develop
creative uses’ for it that matters (Daniele & Mistilis, 1999, p. 145).
Ultimately, the ‘process knowledge’ (Tribe, 1997, p. 647) acquired during
the placement experience is considered to be a critical component of the
tourism management skills base.
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1993, p. 68). Table IIa presents the results for the skills identified earlier;
‘learning to learn’ has not been mentioned specifically by any respondent
and cannot be readily interpreted from any of their comments despite its
‘essential’ status (Harris et al, 1997, p. 277). Table IIb refers to an attribute
arising from the experience, namely, increased confidence; ‘enhanced
confidence’, as a result of the year-long placement, has also been
reported in the literature (Kiely & Ruhnke, 1998; Curtis & Shani, 2002).
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Discussion
Sector representation, in proportionate terms, remained reasonably
constant, year-on-year, up to 2001-02. However, during this period, the
numbers employed in some fluctuated; for example, in 1997-98, there
were five internships at the British Tourist Authority/English Tourist
Board, whereas airline placements are never more than one or two in
each year. A criticism of the data is that the results do not identify
whether particular skills are predominant in one sector compared to
another. This issue was considered before the first mail-out, with the
conclusion that requesting identification of sector might result in
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have a clear idea of career intentions, those who show an interest in the
public sector are encouraged to apply for placements with local
authorities and QUANGOs (quasi-autonomous national government
organisations), such as the British Tourist Authority, as such experience
can provide the necessary competitive advantage after graduation. Two
students on placement, in consecutive years, with the BTA were recruited
after graduation and the same applies to two individuals with the South
East England Tourist Board.
Conclusions
Several years ago, Bowen (1996, p. 120) suggested that for many British
HEIs, omission of an internship programme might be seen as ‘a critical
weakness’, for it certainly reduces the scope for students to acquire a
wide range of skills. Undoubtedly, the advent of tuition fees and the
increasing size of student debt has resulted in fewer students undertaking
an internship despite clear evidence that those who have included this
element in their degree obtain employment quickly after graduation.
Another reason, as Busby (2001, p. 39) notes, is that ‘whilst salaries are
not particularly low, they do not sufficiently entice the student’ despite
the Dearing Report (1997) emphasising the difference that internship
makes for graduates. At a time when the number of graduates is
increasing, there has been a reduction in the number of well-qualified
school leavers and this has increased ‘employer take-up of graduate
relative to non-graduate staff’ (Mason, 2001, p. 9). With an increase in the
supply of graduates, a substantial internship can help differentiate
between applicants from an employer’s perspective. Reviewing the
content of most placements over the last 8 years leads this author to
suggest that they undoubtedly help inculcate the vocationally relevant
skills and knowledge referred to in the QAA benchmark. Whilst many of
these skills are transferable, there is also the opportunity to acquire
specific detailed knowledge, as in the case of the intern commenting on
ATOL documentation. Furthermore, as the student comments suggest, a
level of maturity is instilled and confidence increases.
Teixeira & Baum (2001, p. 102) referred to the difference in returning
students who had undertaken an internship compared to those who had
not as ‘dramatic’. This difference is manifest when it becomes apparent
that reflection on the experience leads to a critical evaluation of the
tourism business as advocated by Tribe (2001). For example, with
reference to the Sustainable Tourism module, the opportunity for debate
is further enhanced by some students having been employed by FTO
(Federation of Tour Operators) members and others with AITO
(Association of Independent Tour Operators) and, therefore, the potential
corporate diversity of view vis-à-vis sustainability (Curtin & Busby, 1999;
Busby, 2003).
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Correspondence
Graham Busby, Faculty of Social Science & Business, University of
Plymouth, Newton Abbot TQ12 6NQ, United Kingdom
(g.busby@plymouth.co.uk).
Note
An earlier version of this paper was delivered at the ‘Rethinking of education
and training for tourism’ conference, University of Zagreb, April 2002.
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