Major challenges affecting international tourism and hospitality management students at LAB University during and after their studies

Abstract

The study examines the issues of concern to the international students studying in LAB University of Applied Sciences during and after the course, especially in accessing internships and jobs. The research design employs a positivist and deductive approach, with a mixed-methods philosophy. The Likert-scale questionnaires have been used to obtain the quantitative data from 60 international students and semi-structured interviews to obtain the qualitative data. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS, while qualitative data were examined using thematic analysis. Four major domains were involved, namely Language Proficiency, Availability of Career Support Services, Cultural and Social Adaptation, Industry Networking, and Internship Opportunities. The regression output showed that the availability and utilization of career support services play a major role in employability, whereas the impacts of language proficiency, cultural adaptation, and networking were less noticeable and rather insignificant. Nevertheless, qualitative results have also revealed that a lack of training in the Finnish language and experiencing the local working environment are significant setbacks to the employment integration process. The paper also finds that the solution to the education-employment gap lies in institutional efforts, specifically improved and culturally competitive career services. It suggests the further development of the Finnish language, the creation of industry-specific internships, and the enhancement of the intercultural cooperation of LAB University. They will make them more employable and socially fit and assist Finland in retaining skilled international graduates in the tourism and hospitality sector.