Abstract:
In the current competitive environment, finding a suitable job with accordance
to the qualification levels is actually a challenge especially in a developing
country like Sri Lanka, where a considerable unemployment rate can be seen
among the educated youth. Therefore universities and other institutional
bodies should take interest in providing industrial training as a prime role of
them. Hence our study is focused on revealing the impact of internships in
finding successful job placements. This study was conducted among recently
passed out graduates of the Faculty of Management and Commerce of South
Eastern University from 2013 to 2015. 210 graduates were selected as the
sample for this study using the propionate random sampling method which
covered all three departments of all three years. Multiple data collection
techniques were used to conduct this study which included semi-structured
questionnaire, direct interviews, and interviews through social media. The
findings revealed though most of the respondents experienced internships only
few of them have experienced relevant training, and the rest has been
irrelevant which indicates that there is a mismatch between the theoretical
knowledge and practical exposure. The researcher suggests that the drawbacks
can be eliminated through revising the faculty academic calendar, focusing on
attending to number of MOU‟s with relevant industries, making industrial
training compulsory, and continuous monitoring and feedback.
