Advisers

Christine A. Alinabo

Discipline

Tourism & hospitality

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the level of workforce readiness of Bestlink College of the Philippines graduates in Tourism Management by examining their work experiences, roles, and the aspects that affect their employment opportunities. In today’s dynamic and fast-evolving job market, especially in the tourism industry, it is crucial to determine whether graduates’ training and abilities meet employer expectations. As Zhao & Chen (2021) noted, employment success depends not only on academic completion but also on the ability to apply learning in real-world settings. This approach allows for a structured evaluation of how effectively Bestlink College’s tourism program prepares students for real-world demands by integrating both descriptive and quantitative methods, the study aims to offer meaningful insights that will serve as a basis for bridging the gap between tourism education and industry needs. The demographic profile of the 75 tourism graduates from Bestlink College of the Philippines reveals a youthful, mobile, and predominantly female workforce, with 72% of respondents aged 20–24 and 100% reporting as single. This status suggests a high degree of geographic flexibility, which is essential for industry roles requiring travel or irregular hours. Graduates expressed strong confidence in their "soft" skills, particularly in customer service and communication, while identifying internships as the most valuable component of their education (WM 3.90). The data indicates that while the college successfully fosters an inclusive networking environment and a solid theoretical foundation, the high interest in Ecotourism and Adventure Tourism reflects a student body eager to engage with the Philippines' primary tourism drivers. Despite this positive foundation, a critical gap exists in technical readiness, as the lack of industry-specific technical skills (such as mastery of booking systems and CRM tools) was the most significant challenge identified (WM 4.00). This study aimed to explore the employability challenges and institutional gaps faced by BS Tourism Management graduates from Bestlink College of the Philippines, and to develop a proposed Emerging Employability Guide. The researchers gathered data from 75 alumni through a Google Form survey, focusing on demographics, employment experiences, perceived gender influence, and institutional support.

Keywords

tracer study, graduate employability, tourism education, industry academia gap, curriculum alignment