PRACTICUM AND DEVELOPMENT OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCES. THE CASE OF BUSINESS STUDENTS

The practicum is part of the students' academic training and at the same time constitutes an intermediate step towards the beginning of their professional career. This study analyzes the competencies of graduates from the point of view of employers and the adjustment between the level of academic training of graduates and the level required by the job. We also contrast the usefulness of the practicum for the training of graduates and their insertion in the labour market. For this purpose, we use data from 233 students of the Business Administration degree from the University of Barcelona who did the practicum during 2016 and 2017. These data have been obtained from the evaluation questionnaires of the practicum, carried out by the tutors of the companies where the students have carried out their practicum. The work analyzes instrumental, interpersonal and systemic competences of graduates. Descriptive statistics, especially contingency tables, have been used to contrast competencies of graduates and their job characteristics. Findings showed the importance of motivation and implication of students in the workplace, the teamwork and analysis capacity. Besides, the results show a good professional adjustment of students. We also find that graduates recognize the contribution of the university to their generic skill development, and they greatly valued the experience of learning in the workplace, in order to their future employment.