Internship and Extracurricular Activities as Predictors of Employability Skills Needs of Business Education Students in Tertiary Institutions in Anambra State

Abstract

This study examined internship and extracurricular activities as predictors of employability skills among business education students in tertiary institutions in Anambra State. The study adopted a correlational research design. The population of the study comprised 237 final-year Business Education students in tertiary institutions in Anambra State. The study adopted a census sampling technique since the population was manageable. Thus, the sample size was 237. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled: Internship, Extracurricular Activities and Employability Skills (IEEQ). Each of the clusters of the questionnaire had 10 items and was structured on a four-point rating scale: Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D), and Strongly Disagree (SD). To determine the reliability of the instruments, the instruments were trial tested using a single administration on a representative sample of 10 students (5 male and 5 female business education students) and obtained the reliability coefficients of 0.884, 0.797, and 0.834. The study used simple and multiple linear regression for data analysis. Simple linear regression analysis was used to answer the research questions and to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The study found that internship experiences significantly enhance employability skills among male and female business education students in Anambra State by fostering practical competence and workplace adaptability. These experiences bridge academic theory and professional practice, equipping students with critical skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. The study, therefore, recommended among others that tertiary institutions in Anambra State should strengthen partnerships with industries to ensure that all business education students, irrespective of gender, are provided with structured internship opportunities that offer relevant and practical exposure. Also, curriculum planners should integrate mandatory internship components into business education programmes to facilitate the development of employability skills such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and time management