“Tracer Study Exploration of BS in Criminology and BS in Hospitality Management Graduates of Davao Central College”

“Tracer Study Exploration of BS in Criminology and BS in Hospitality Management Graduates of Davao Central College”

Estrella A. Cantallopez, Jay Ar A. Robles

Davao Central College

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.803118S

Reeived: 21 May 2024; Accepted: 06 June 2024; Published: 06 July 2024

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to track the current employment status of BS in Criminology and BS in Hospitality graduates from Davao Central College. Conducting tracer studies has become a common practice as a measure of educational quality, with one key indicator being the employability of graduates. High employability rates among graduates suggest not only quality instruction but also the alignment of academic programs with industry needs. The study sought to collect information on the graduates’ year of graduation, current employment agency, and job positions. It employed a quantitative-descriptive research design, using frequencies and percentages to process the data. The study found that graduates are employed in various locations, including Davao City, different areas in Mindanao, and even abroad. While some graduates have jobs unrelated to their degrees, they were still included in the tracer study. The sampling technique used was snowball sampling, and a survey conducted through google forms yielded limited responses. Nevertheless, most respondents reported holding jobs relevant to their degrees, indicating that DCC’s curriculum and skills training are effective. The researchers recommend ongoing tracer studies that incorporate employability variables. Additionally, efforts should be made to reach a larger number of graduates and to employ new data collection techniques beyond those used in this study.

Keywords: employment status, high employability rates, tracer study, curriculum and skills training

INTRODUCTION

The conduct of tracer studies has been a trend. One indicator that a school has granted quality education is the employability of the graduates and which could be known through the conduct of tracer studies. Finding out that graduates of a certain school is highly employable reflects not only quality instruction but also the program being able to match the industry need.

The International Labor Organization or ILO (2017) report that tracer studies do not only inform regarding the employability of the graduates, they also provide data useful for matching supply to current demand for skills; helping workers and enterprises adjust to change, and building and sustaining competencies for future labor market needs. Schomburg (2015), affirmed ILO and added that one importance of graduate tracer studies is to incorporate effective improvements into institutional programs of HEls by collecting and analyzing information on graduate’s study experiences, professional and personal careers. Such studies can be used to collect data on the employment situation of the most recent graduates in order to obtain indicators for their professional performance.

Tracer studies by schools in all levels are very useful. They are done for several reasons. Badiru and Wahome (2016) explained that tracer studies are done for several reasons; (1) accreditation of the academic programs, (2) find out the link between study programs and the job market, (3) to show uniqueness and positioning of individual universities, (4) to enable universities and institutions manage higher education; and, (5) make informed and evidence-based decisions about improvements and quality education and services in higher education. Badiru and Wahome also mentioned the European Union (EU) that places great emphasis on skill anticipation and better matching. Its Europe 2020 strategy, the agenda for new skills and jobs, recognize that anticipation and matching approaches and methods can help develop a skilled workforce with the right mix of skills in response to labor market needs, in a way that promotes job quality and lifelong learning. In addition, EU also launched in 2017, the EU Skills Panorama, which supports the effort to provide better data and intelligence on skill needs in the labor market

Skills matching is very important to be considered before a school opens new programs. This is also needed in revising curricula which schools do regularly to accommodate findings of tracer studies. This is important because the world is rapidly changing. The schools should pay particular attention so that the graduates would not waste something like four to five years, only to find oud that the vacancies have been already saturated. ILO (2014) has been particularly pushing for skills matching and which is the complex and dynamic process involving multiple stakeholders making multiple decisions at different times: individuals and their families, as they make decisions regarding their own education and training, education, training and labor market policy makers, as they decide on the configuration of education and training systems, employment policies and investments, training institutions, as they make decisions on the type and content of the training courses to be delivered; and employers, as they take decisions.

In the Philippines, as sourced from different research sites, there had been many tracer studies already conducted, one among which is the one conducted by Gagalang, Abarro (2017) of the University of Rizal System. The data-gathering tool was the Graduate Tracer Study (GTS) Questionnaire adapted from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). The data gathered were: (a) demographic profile of the students; (b) reasons for choosing the course or academic program; (c) type of workplace in which the respondents are employed (either government or private, (d) whether the work or positions are relevant to the degrees earned; (e) employment status (whether contractual, casual or regular (f) whether there was opportunity for professional development; (g) length of time between completion of the degree and being employed (g) matching between their specific tasks and their talents, skills and hands-on activities, consider their occupation as complementary to their qualification.

Godoy (2015) conducted a study on the employability of the graduates of the College of Communication of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines from 2009 to 2012. Aside from the data on employability, the researchers also gathered data on the employment profile. The researchers found out among others that most of the graduates are indeed employed in jobs connected to arts, media, and communication and which got the bulk of the frequency or 36.54 percent. Further, the study found out that 74.77 percent of the respondents are currently working with permanent, regular status. The researchers observed that their competent communication and interpersonal skills, graduates are more likely to land on jobs connected to the degree they have earned.

In Mindanao, the study of Pia, Matunding and Salvador (2014) included variables such as such as graduates’ perspectives on the academic program, facilities and the impact of teaching and learning process process experienced in the institution. The findings revealed showed that most of them are registered nurses, most of whom had not taken any other examinations. Further, most of them had attended only local trainings and seminars. Most of them were employed with regular status and the jobs are nursing related. After graduation, most of the respondents worked in a nursing-related job. In addition, most of the respondents cited skills in communication, human relation, critical thinking and problem-solving as the ones they developed and which also helped them procure the job.

This study intended to trace where the BS Criminology and BSHRM graduates of DCC are currently working. This does not include many variables because in the Google site where the forms to be filled up were published, very few would supply relevant information such as number of years of being in the company or organization, and others. The researchers decided not to include data which many refused to provide.

Statement of the Problem

The study intended to gather information on the year of graduation, agency the graduates are connected with currently, and identify the positions.

Null Hypothesis

There is no significant difference in the employment outcomes and skill application in the workplace among graduates from criminology and hospitality programs in Davao Central College.

METHOD

In this study, a descriptive- quantitative research design was employed. Data were processed using frequencies and percentages.

The study traces the BS Criminology and BS Hospitality Management graduates of Davao Central College. Some are working in Davao City, the others have been working in different areas in Mindanao, or even abroad. Some of the graduates are accessible but they have not landed in jobs relevant to the degree earned. Still, they are part of this tracer study.

In identifying the respondents of the study, the researchers decided that the inclusive period covers 2010 to 2019. However, since it was difficult to know if the graduates are currently working or whether they are employed or not, and where they are working currently and previously, the snowball and census sampling were used. The snowball was used in the interviews conducted and the census was used in the gathering of data by inviting them to fill up forms published in the Google site.

Survey forms were distributed to the graduates who have been easily accessible such as those working at Davao Central College and in Toril, Davao City. The others were accessed through telephone interviews using the snowball sampling technique. In this technique, one identified respondent identified another and so on.

The forms were distributed during an alumni gathering. The others were distributed by faculty members. Another strategy was using the Google forms. Graduates were requested to fill in the forms. Some filled in the forms but they were selective on the information they want to share.

To respect the privacy of the graduates, this study provides only the following information: (a) the year of graduation; (b) the organization they are currently connected with and their positions or ranks.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Table 1. BS in Criminology Graduates

Show in table 1 that 6 among the 78 graduates who responded to the survey were not in the security sectors. Among the 72 who are in the security sector, 2 are security officers/ guards. The rest are law enforcers of the Philippine National Police. In terms of ranks, those who were more than four years in service are mostly Patrolman. Most of the graduates since year 2015 ae still Patrolman.

The sampling technique employed was snowball. A survey was also done through Google site but only few responded. Table 2 presents the data.

Table 2. BS in Hospitality Management Graduates

Shows in table 2 that the highest frequency which is 5 or 12.5 percent are graduates working with Dream Castle Hotel in Toril, Davao City. It could be gleaned from the table that most of the graduates are working in relevant workplaces. One graduate has an irrelevant work and which is being a salesperson in Smart Communications. Two of the graduates are OFWs but they have not indicated their workplaces or specific jobs so there is no way of saying that their jobs are relevant to their degrees.

CONCLUSION

The survey results from Bachelor of Science in Criminology graduates indicate that out of 78 respondents, 6 are not employed in the security sector. Among the 72 graduates working in the security sector, 2 are security officers or guards. The remaining graduates are law enforcers with the Philippine National Police. Regarding their ranks, those with more than four years of service are predominantly Patrolmen, and most graduates since 2015 remain at the Patrolman rank.

On the other hand, the results from the Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management graduates show that the highest frequency, 5 graduates or 12.5%, are employed at Dream Castle Hotel in Toril, Davao City. The table indicates that most graduates are working in relevant positions. One graduate, however, is employed in an unrelated field as a salesperson at Smart Communications. Additionally, two graduates are working overseas, but they did not specify their workplaces or job roles, so it cannot be determined whether their jobs are related to their degrees.

Most of the graduates who responded to the call for participating in the tracer study have relevant jobs. This is basis enough to conclude that among those respondents, DCC has been relevant in content and in skills training.

RECOMMENDATION

The researcher recommends the following: Expand the tracer study to include other programs from the first batch of graduates, incorporating this new data with the current results; Enhance the school’s criminology and hospitality programs by adapting them to current global trends in education and technology, providing better facilities, resources, and equipment, and hiring additional faculty with highly competitive and diverse qualifications; Maintain the development of communication, human relations, and problem-solving skills in the Teacher Education Programs, as these are extensively utilized in the workplace. Furthermore, based on the findings, the researchers suggest a continuous tracer study that integrates the variable of employability. Efforts should be made to access a larger number of graduates and employ new techniques beyond those used in this study.

REFERENCES

1. International Labor Organization. (2017). World Employment and Social Outlook
2. Schomburg, H. (2015). The Professional Success of Higher Education Graduates. The European Journal of Education
3. Badiru, E. O. & Wahome, M. (2016). Conducting Graduate Tracer Studies for Quality Assurance in East African Universities: A Focus on Graduate Students Voices on Quality Culture. Journal of Education and Practice. https://eric.ed.gov
4. International Labor Organization. (2014). World Employment and Social Outlook
5. Abarro, J. (2017).  Employability of BSE and BEE Graduares of University of Rizal System, Antipolo City. International Journal of Advanced Research
6. Godoy, M. L. (2015). Tracer Study on Journalism Graduates of Polytechnic University of the Philippines-College of Communication from 2009 to 2012. Academia. https://www.academia.edu
7. Pia, M. A. C., Matunding, L., & Salvador, G. (2014). Davao Doctors College Traces Study of Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Philippine E-Journals. https://ejournals.ph