Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities Research

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Research Article
TRACER STUDY OF EMPLOYMENT OF BSHRM GRADUATES OF
THE LA CONSOLACION UNIVERSITY PHILIPPINES FROM 2011-
2013
Flordeliza P. Fronda1, Fe Corazon C. Villanueva1
1
La Consolation University Philippines

Correspondence should be addressed to Flordeliza P. Fronda

Received October 30, 2015; Accepted November 03, 2015; Published December 08, 2015;

Copyright: © 2015 Flordeliza P. Fronda et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative
Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly cited.

Cite This Article: Fronda, F., Villanueva, F.(2015). Tracer study of employment of bshrm graduates of the la
consolacion university philippines from 2011-2013. Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities Research, 1(2).1-6

ABSTRACT

The study determined Employability of La Consolacion University (LCUP) Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant
Management Graduates for Academic Year 2011 to 2013. The study used the survey research method. For the purpose of
the study only those presently employed were included in the survey. The instrument of the study was designed by the
researchers based on the variables of the conceptual framework with other data such as name, address, contact number,
course, and year graduated. Employment potential of the graduates was described by their job movement and the relevance
of their positions to their field of study, Hotel and Restaurant Management. The study revealed HRM graduates are
employable both locally and abroad. They enter international employment after acquiring experience in the country. Some
even got lucky abroad as soon as completing their college degree; Academic achievers in college are mobile in their
employment. They gain more knowledge and skills by moving jobs in different hospitality industry companies, the
graduates have quite a good perception of the HRM course. They were confident that they have learned the relevant
hospitality industry knowledge and skills and were able to find jobs that are related to their course and The HRM
curriculum is in place, but it needs enhancement. Firstly in terms of including in the practicum program a variety of
hospitality industry companies that the on the job trainees may access to gain more skills and knowledge. Secondly in
terms of more opportunities for in- or off-campus skills development programs related to the major subjects.

KEYWORDS:Employment, Graduates

INTRODUCTION order to serve the growing educational demand. Contrary

to this positive outlook on education is seemingly a
negative picture of employment
T he importance of education in boosting the economic Department of Labor and Employment statistics show that
growth of the country cannot be overemphasized. Even unemployment rate for Metro Manila alone increased from 1
today where some jobs abound that do not necessitate 15% in 2003 to 18% in 2004. The figures continue to rise
college degrees, people still believe that higher education every year. College students that graduate every year are
pays. Students enroll in colleges and universities to earn addition to the nation’s unemployment problem, so
degrees to make them competitive in the job market. observers say. Schools, although aware, can only hope for
Higher educational institutions also continue to increase in good. The situation does not stop them in their task of
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 Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities Research
providing the labor force that industries need locally and quality education. Having completed the survey of its BSC
abroad. Ambitious colleges and universities, inspired by students, the department is now prepared to study its Hotel
globalization, are aiming to supply the global labor market and Restaurant Management graduates.
with the manpower they require. La Consolacion
University Philippines (LCUP) is moving towards this The Hotel and Restaurant Management program was
direction. Its mission mandates it to produce globally offered in 1994 and the Tourism program, in 1997. It
competitive human resources. started with a humble number of graduates, but at present,
it is the most enrolled program in LCUP. The Practicum
LCUP, already enjoying accredited status conferred by program attached to the course is its main attraction. The
PAASCU and PACUCOA, has not rested in its journey University boasts of the BarCIE International Center as the
towards quality education. Level 1 status was granted by students’ laboratory for skills and theory applications.
PACUCUOA on April 13, 2012. In the last 2013 external Another special feature is the course’s International
audit, the HRM program did not receive any non- Practicum program. Several students had been deployed to
conformance findings. As of 2004, LCUP was added in the Singapore and the United States, and the current study
list of accredited institutions by the TUV Rheinland ISO would be useful in determining the program’s impact on
9001 Accreditation. It is now ISO Certified from their employment potential.
Preschool to Graduate School.Recently, also, the
University was awarded the Autonomous Status by the FRAMEWORK
Commission on Higher Education. With all these
reputations attached to its name, LCUP continues to dream The research paradigm consists of four independent
and labor to survive further heights of success. The variables namely: academic performance, instructional
College of Business Education shares with the institution quality, HRM curriculum and overall rating of the HRM
this noble mission. In its desire to live up to the course. These are the factors that are assumed to be related
University’s expectation of producing quality graduates with the graduates’ employment potential, the dependent
who would become future business leaders, it continues variable of the study.Figure 1 shows the hypothesized
evaluating its programs and services to identify areas of relationships of the variables.
improvement to sustain and maintain higher grounds of
Figure 1:Conceptual Model of the Study

 Student Academic Graduates’ Employment

Performance Potential:
 Quality of Instruction
 Usefulness of the HRM Job movement
curriculum
 Overall Assessment of  Job relevance
the HRM course

OBJECTIVES iii. Investigate the relationship of the graduates’

employment potential and their perceived
i. Determine the present profile of BS HRM school-related factors.
graduates (2011-13) including their iv. Identify the HRM subjects most applicable
employment status. and effective in employment.
ii. Describe the graduates’ perceptions in terms v. Analyze the graduates’ recommendations to
2 of their college academic performance, help students improve their employment
quality of instruction provided by the potential in the future.
professors, usefulness of the HRM curriculum
and their overall rating of the HRM course.

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MATERIALS AND METHODS Data Analysis

Research Design The tabulation of data was processed using the Statistical
Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics
The study used the survey research method. It like mean, percentages, frequency distribution and
utilized a researcher-made questionnaire. The standard deviation were used to describe the present
research used purposive sampling, descriptive employment status of the graduates and the subjects they
considered most applicable in their employment.
statistics, and Pearson’s Chi-square and Fishers’
Recommendations from interviews of graduates were also
Exact tests of relationship between the variables of content analyzed. This enabled the researchers to
the study. determine the trending of responses and to discover some
underlying factors that may contribute to the improvement
Locale of the study of the Hotel and Restaurant Management program.

The respondents of the study are the graduates of Employment potential of the graduates was described by
hotel and restaurant Instrumental Analysismanagement their job movement and the relevance of their positions to
course of the College of Hospitality Management, La their field of study, Hotel and Restaurant Management.
Consolacion University Philippines for the period From the graduates’ job history, it can be seen how they
2011-2013. The study aimed to cover 100%of the changed jobs and moved from one company to another.
graduates during the given period, but only 90 graduates Based the job positions and duties and responsibilities, it
responded. For the purpose of the study only those may be identified if their jobs were relevant or not to HRM
presently employed were included in the survey. course. Job movement and job relevance are the
dependent variables of the study.
The instrument of the study was designed by the
researchers based on the variables of the conceptual The independent variables are respondent academic
framework with other data such as name, address, contact performance measured on a 4-point scale, usefulness of the
number, course, and year graduated. Closed-ended curriculum to their employment measured on a 5-point
responses using Likert Scale and open-ended responses scale, quality of instruction measured on a 4-point scale
were adopted. Narrative inputs were used in the and overall rating of the HRM course measured on a 5-
recommendations of the graduates on how to help point scale.
employment potential.
The 4-point scale for academic performance and quality of
instruction will be described as:

1.0-1.49 Excellent

1.5-2.49 Above average

2.5-3.49 Average

3.5-4.00 Below average

The 5-point scales for usefulness of the HRM curriculum and overall rating of the HRM course will be described as:

Usefulness of the HRM curriculum Overall rating of HRM course

Not useful 0- 0.49 1.0-1.49 Poor

Less useful .50-1.49 1.5-2.49 Fair

Useful 1.5-2.49 2.5-3.49 Satisfactory

Very useful 2.5-3.49 3.5-4.49 Very satisfactory 3

Very much useful 3.5-4.00 4.5-5.00 Excellent

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 Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities Research
The Pearson Chi-square test of significance was used to skilled workers that would be useful in effective human
test the relationship between the variables of the study. resource planning especially in economizing on skills
This was supported by Fisher’s Exact Test in cases where development programs—talents are available anytime
there were more than 20% of cells with expected counts these are needed. For the LCUP HRM graduates who
less than 5. acquire several skills through job movement, the
University can only support them through its course
To augment the analysis of the effectiveness of the innovations with their feedback and recommendations.
curriculum on the employment of the graduates, the
respondents ranked 5 subjects which they took during Among the surveyed HRM graduates there as much who
college that are relevant to their employment. Frequency had no job movement and those who moved jobs. The
distribution and ranking were used in the analysis. The most number of times of job movement was five during the
graduates’ recommendations to make their course more graduates’ four working years. Data also reveals that a very
attuned to make them employable were also content good majority, 74 or 88% of the graduates held positions
analyzed as this may be helpful in designing future that are relevant to hotel and restaurant management field.
improvements of the HRM curriculum.
Four factors were assumed to be related with the
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION graduates’ job movement and job relevance. These are
graduates’ academic performance in school, perceived
It can be noticed that majority of the respondents were quality of instruction provided by the professors,
graduates of 2011 and 2012. Most of these graduates had usefulness of the HRM curriculum and the overall rating of
chances or presently working abroad and have been the HRM course.
communicating with the College Dean through email and
Facebook. This is the communication media that they used Of the four variables hypothesized to be unrelated with job
in responding to the survey. For the 2013 graduates they movement, academic performance showed relationship to
had the chance to be part of the survey through friends and job movement with a chi-square value of 10.71, 2 df and a
acquaintances and occasional visits to the university after p-value of .005 which is below the .05 level of significance.
their graduation. It maybe said then that a relationship exists between job
movement and academic performance while quality of
It is noteworthy that a good number of the graduates instruction, usefulness of HRM curriculum and overall
worked or presently working abroad. This is a proof that rating of HRM course are not at all related with job
the University’s goal of producing internationally movement. The findings may also imply that moving jobs
comparable human resource is to some extent realized. from one to another depends more on the person holding
With job movements the graduates either work locally or the job - the kind of personality and ability the graduates
abroad and around 20% started working abroad and still have. These are the majority of the surveyed graduates
holding their positions. who considered them to be academic performers from
above average to excellent. This is one group exhibiting
The students considered their academic performance as the conscientious type of personality described as
above average as registered by the mean of 2.31 and achievers and dependable-the group who are not content
standard deviation of .74, although a greater number, 40 or with what they have acquired in school and in their first
47.6%, considered themselves as average in academic jobs and desire more skills and opportunities through job
performance. In terms of quality of the instruction movement.
provided by their professors, the respondents perceived it
as above average with a mean of 1.79 and a standard The cross tabulations reveal that there were more than 20%
deviation of .64. It is also the rating of the majority of the of cells with expected counts less than 5 which prompted
respondents. A great majority of the respondents, 66 or the researcher to consider the Fisher’s Exact Test to
78.6% indicated that the HRM curriculum was very much determine the relationships of the variables under study.
useful as evidenced by the mean of 3.79 with a standard Based on the results the hypothesis that no relationship
deviation of .41. Overall rating of the HRM course exists between job relevance and academic performance,
registered a mean of 4.62 which is interpreted as excellent; quality of instruction and usefulness of the HRM
standard deviation was .53. A very high percentage, curriculum are true because all registered p-values are
97.6%, of the graduates rated the HRM course from very higher than the .05 level of significance. Only one
satisfactory to excellent. variable, the overall rating of the HRM course, was found
to be related with job relevance proven by the p-value of
Job movement as used in the study refers to job transfers .009 which is well below the .05 level of significance.
from one company to another. This is also referred to as
job mobility in other studies. This is a trend used to Ranked first are all the major subjects indicated by the
characterize the younger generation ages 18-38 who tend students as HRM1-5, HMC 1-5, food and beverage, food
to hold an average of 10 jobs throughout their 20 years of preparation, bartending/bar mgt, front office mgt, event
4 employment. Job mobility enhances diffusion of mgt, rooms mgt, banquet and catering, etc. Ranked second
knowledge, innovation and technology across firms. This is Personality Development and Public Relations; third,
practice makes individuals become more self-directed in OJT/Practicum and English-Business Communication and
obtaining a variety of experiences and knowledge across lastly Bus Organization and Mgt. In addition to all the
jobs and workers benefit by building their skills set. major subjects the graduates found the need for hospitality
Organizations also benefit by having an inventory of multi- industry workers to be skilled in talking to people and

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presenting themselves well in front of customers. The iv. The HRM curriculum is in place, but it needs
workers must also understand business operations to be of enhancement. Firstly in terms of including in the
help to the company towards competitiveness in the practicum program a variety of hospitality
hospitality industry. industry companies that the on the job trainees
may access to gain more skills and knowledge.
In analyzing the statements one can read the sincerity of Secondly in terms of more opportunities for in- or
the graduates in their desire for students to succeed in their off-campus skills development programs related to
chosen field of study. Behind the statements are graduates the major subjects.
who are proud to have taken the HRM course and are now
applying what they learned in the University. RECOMMENDATIONS

Although most of the recommendations are addressed to The following recommendations are thus offered:
future graduates, important points are implied to make the
HRM curriculum more relevant and attuned to real world i. HRM students who are performing very well in
of work in the hospitality industry local and abroad. The academic performance are proof that the HRM
major subjects are in place, and the graduates suggest course is not only a second choice among college
linkage to a variety of hotel industry establishments-hotels, entrants. Together with HRM students who have
restaurants, airlines, and other HRM-related companies. It good academic background from high school and
is also recommended for the provision of more HRM- are making it good as well in the HRM course,
related skills training in the school especially done in the these group of performing students should be at
laboratory and through other venues like inter- and intra- the frontline in helping the Hospitality
competitions. In addition to HRM-related skills, the Department market the HRM course to college
curriculum may also need to intensify English entrants with good academic standing. Especially
communication skills training to students to make them those who are fluent in the English language, they
more confident in working with and through people in the should be allowed to speak before graduating
industry. classes about their good experiences in the HRM
course as one of the department’s effort to
Given the right curriculum, what needs real improvement increase its enrollment.
is student attitude. The students need to trust that they are ii. The department should enforce discipline on the
in the right course and take seriously their studies, HRM students who are not taking their studies
maximize learning’s gained inside the classroom and in the seriously. The beneficiaries of this are the
co- and extra-curricular activities provided by the school. students themselves when they join the workforce
Proper behavior of an individual with a goal to achieve, to apply confidently the HRM knowledge and
proper attitude of a college student trying to acquire as skills they have acquired in school.
much knowledge, skills, values as possible and building iii. The HRM department should explore more
positivity and confidence-these will surely help propel the agencies locally. The place of practicum may not
students towards success in the hospitality industry. The only be Metro Manila, but other cities as well
right time and place to acquire all these right attitudes is where hospitality industry is growing. This will
now in the school as reiterated in the recommendations, expose the students to a variety of Philippine
not after graduation. Learning from these, the Dean, culture and hospitality management practices.
teachers and staff must be firm in molding students to Internationally, the HRM department should link
become the best provider of hospitality services in the with more agencies and explore other countries
future. where HRM practicumers can enter.
iv. Intensity in-house competitions for skills learned
CONCLUSIONS in HRM major subjects. The department should
also continuously join inter-school and industry-
Based on the findings of the study, the following are sponsored competitions, local and abroad, even
arrived at: online contests, to showcase student skills and
competencies to the widest audiences possible.
i. HRM graduates are employable both locally and v. Successful graduates in the field of hospitality
abroad. They enter international employment industry should be invited regularly to school
after acquiring experience in the country. Some activities and speak before the students to inspire
even got lucky abroad as soon as completing their them to take the course seriously and work hard
college degree. for future success in their chosen career.
ii. Academic achievers in college are mobile in their
employment. They gain more knowledge and REFERENCES
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