Perceived Impact of Internship Experiences on the Career Development of Hospitality Management Students: Evidence from Accra Technical University

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-527-0_19How to use a DOI?

Keywords

hospitality education; internship experience; career development; student perceptions; professional growth

Abstract

This study examined the perceived impact of internship experiences on the career development of hospitality students at Accra Technical University. Guided by three objectives, the research sought to identify key elements of internship experiences that enhance career development, examine students’ perceptions of their internships, and assess the overall impact of these experiences on professional growth. A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed, and data were collected from 196 final-year Higher National Diploma and Degree students using a structured questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, Spearman’s rho correlation, and independent-samples t-tests were used for analysis. Findings indicated that students perceived their internships as highly beneficial, particularly in terms of alignment with academic study, opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge, improvement of communication and problem-solving skills, and receipt of adequate mentorship. Internships were also reported to clarify career goals, enhance employability, and provide valuable industry networks. Overall impact ratings were strongly positive, with students acknowledging internships as instrumental in their professional growth and long-term career planning. A strong positive correlation was found between students’ perceptions and their overall experience (Rs = .870, p < .01), while no significant relationship emerged between internship type and either variable. Independent-samples t-tests revealed that Diploma students reported significantly higher perception and overall experience scores than Degree students. It recommends strengthening placement alignment with curriculum, enhancing mentorship structures, customizing preparation by academic level, and institutionalizing national internship quality standards.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Elizabeth Kafui Senya
AU  - Babara Efua Akyaa Gyebi
AU  - Gloria Honny Asirifi
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/24
TI  - Perceived Impact of Internship Experiences on the Career Development of Hospitality Management Students: Evidence from Accra Technical University
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Applied Arts, Design, and Sustainability (ICAADS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 283
EP  - 297
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-527-0_19
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-527-0_19
ID  - Senya2025
ER  -