Student satisfaction and perceived skills: any link to employability?

Abstract

The present study aims to determine the perceived satisfaction of students enrolled in a tourism undergraduate program and to assess the impact perceived skills have on their intentions regarding future careers. This is a quantitative study based on the analysis of primary data gathered through a questionnaire. A sample of 114 students in their second year of study from the biggest university in Romania completed the questionnaire. The data collected were analysed using descriptive analysis, ANOVA and regression analysis. An ANOVA test and post hoc Tukey test were therefore used to determine differences in the means and variance of satisfaction, with the grade levels and course attendance set as the independent variables. A regression analysis was then conducted to identify the connections between perceived skills and the future career path of tourism students. The results show that students do not perceive satisfaction differently according to their grade levels, although there may be a relationship between levels of satisfaction and class attendance. Optimism was found to predict whether students would be interested in starting a business, while attitudes towards leadership and networking were found to predict whether students wished to pursue a management career.