Impact of Internship Programme on Employability Skills Development among Undergraduate Business Education Students in Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between internship programme quality and employability skills development among Business Education students in Delta State owned universities. The study focused on two key dimensions of internship quality, which are supervision quality and feedback mechanisms, and assessed their relationship with critical thinking and communication skills. A descriptive correlational survey design was adopted, and data were collected from a population of 319 Business Education students using a structured questionnaire. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that supervision quality has a strong and significant positive relationship with both critical thinking and communication skills. Feedback mechanisms also showed a moderate but significant relationship with students’ critical thinking and communication abilities. The study concluded that internship programme quality is essential for developing employability skills and recommended improved supervision structures, stronger industry collaboration, and standardized feedback systems to enhance student outcomes.