Abstract:

The growing demand for professionals capable of responding to dynamic labor environments has renewed the debate on the relevance of university education. In this context, several studies have highlighted the existence of gaps between the competencies acquired during academic training and those required in professional settings. Based on this concern, the present study aims to analyze the mismatch between the competencies developed in the training of economists and the skills demanded by the labor market, using as empirical evidence the records of students’ pre-professional internships.

Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative interpretative approach based on the documentary analysis of institutional internship records. The unit of analysis consists of a sample of Economics students who carried out pre-professional internships in different public and private organizations. The information analyzed includes weekly activity reports prepared by the students and the observations or feedback provided by workplace supervisors. For data analysis, a thematic content analysis was conducted through processes of open coding and categorization, aimed at identifying recurrent patterns in assigned tasks, the types of competencies mobilized, and the assessments issued by supervisors regarding the performance of the interns.

The results reveal the existence of a significant mismatch between the competencies that university education intends to develop and the functions actually performed during internships. In particular, a considerable proportion of the activities assigned to students is concentrated in operational and administrative tasks, such as data recording, preparation of routine reports, or logistical support in internal processes, with limited requirements for economic analysis or the application of specialized quantitative tools. Additionally, the analysis of supervisors’ observations shows that performance evaluation tends to focus primarily on attitudinal aspects—such as responsibility, compliance, and willingness to work—while feedback related to the technical competencies of economists is relatively scarce.

These findings suggest that pre-professional internships, rather than fully constituting spaces for the application of economic knowledge, tend to reproduce workplace dynamics that do not always take advantage of students’ analytical potential. Consequently, the study highlights the need to strengthen coordination mechanisms between universities and the productive sector, as well as to redefine the criteria for the assignment and monitoring of internships in order to reduce competency gaps and improve the relevance of Economics education in relation to labor market demands.

Keywords:

Competency gaps, Economics education, Pre-professional internships.