Policy Analysis on Internship and Job Placement Programs in NU Baliwag: Strengthening Industry–Academe Linkages for Graduate Employability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11594/ijmaber.07.09.22Keywords:
Evidence-based policy formulation, Graduate capital theory, Graduate employability, Industry-academe linkages, Internship effectiveness, Tracer studiesAbstract
Graduate employability remains a critical performance indicator for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) amid rapidly evolving labor market demands that require both technical competencies and career adaptability. This study adopts a descriptive evaluative research design for evidence-based policy formulation to assess the effectiveness of internship and job placement programs implemented through the Academe–Industry Linkages and Placement Office (AILPO) of National University Baliwag. Data were collected from 120 graduates from Academic Years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 using a validated survey instrument. Findings revealed that 71.7% of graduates were employed and 11.6% were self-employed, resulting in an overall employability rate of 83.3%. The effectiveness of AILPO services received an overall mean rating of 4.04, with job vacancy dissemination and career guidance services obtaining the highest ratings. However, post-employment follow-up emerged as the lowest-rated service area, indicating a significant policy gap in long-term graduate support and career monitoring. Program-level differences in employability were observed, with graduates from business and technology-related disciplines demonstrating stronger employment outcomes than those from tourism-related programs. Guided by Tomlinson's Graduate Capital Theory, the study proposes a lifecycle-based employability framework that integrates graduate tracking systems, alumni engagement initiatives, industry collaboration, and curriculum-embedded career readiness programs. The findings provide empirical evidence for strengthening institutional employability policies and advancing sustainable graduate career development beyond initial employment outcomes.
Downloads
References
Bridgstock, R. (2009). The graduate attributes that we have ignored: Improving gradu-ate employability by means of career management skills. Higher Education Re-search & Development, 28(1), 31–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360802444347
Bridgstock, R., Jackson, D., & Healy, M. (2021). Integrating career development learning into the curriculum. Journal of Education and Work, 34(3–4), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2021.1925232
CHED. (2023). Policies, standards, and guide-lines on higher education employability initiatives. Commission on Higher Educa-tion. https://ched.gov.ph
Clarke, M. (2021). Rethinking graduate em-ployability: The role of capital, individual attributes, and context. Studies in Higher Education, 46(10), 1923–1937. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1688289
Dela Cruz, J., Santos, R., & Reyes, M. (2022). Career readiness and employability of Fil-ipino graduates. Philippine Journal of Ed-ucation, 98(2), 45–60.
Harvey, L. (2001). Defining and measuring employability. Quality in Higher Educa-tion, 7(2), 97–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/13538320120059990
Jackson, D. (2014). Learning and development of employability skills through work-integrated learning. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 15(2), 137–149. https://www.ijwil.org/files/APJCE152137149.pdf
Jackson, D. (2021). Developing career adapta-bility and sustainability in graduates. Higher Education Research & Develop-ment, 40(3), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2020.1865287
Jackson, D., & Wilton, N. (2017). Developing career management competencies among undergraduates. Higher Education, 74(1), 143–160. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-016-0036-5
Schomburg, H., & Teichler, U. (2021). Employ-ability and mobility of graduates: The role of tracer studies. Higher Education Dynamics, 52, 243–258. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78809-3
Tomlinson, M. (2012). Graduate employability: A review of conceptual and empirical themes. Higher Education Policy, 25(4), 407–431. https://doi.org/10.1057/hep.2011.26
Tomlinson, M. (2017). Forms of graduate capi-tal and their relationship to graduate em-ployability. Education + Training, 59(4), 338–352. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-05-2016-0090
World Bank. (2022). Skills development in the post-pandemic world: Trends and policy directions. https://www.worldbank.org
Yorke, M. (2006). Employability in higher edu-cation: What it is—what it is not. Higher Education Academy. https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/employability-higher-education-what-it-what-it-not
Yorke, M., & Knight, P. T. (2006). Embedding employability into the curriculum. Higher Education Academy. https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/embedding-employability-curriculum
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Jenny Rose DC. Naval, Roan I. Estay, Virginia Natividad-Franco, Jim Carl M. Jose
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See the Effect of Open Access).
