The perception of engineering students at UDB about professional practicum

Abstract

The implementation of professional practicum in the competency-based approach curriculum is a key element to achieve the full development of the competencies in future professionals. The objective of the research carried out was to explore the perception of the students of the Faculty of Engineering of the Don Bosco University who carry out professional practices with respect to: the  selection of the company, the level of satisfaction, the correspondence between the academic training received and the competencies developed, factors contributing to success and suggestions for improvement. The applied methodology was quantitative, nonexperimental, cross-sectional, with an exploratory and descriptive scope. Data was collected from an online survey. The results indicate high levels of satisfaction in relation to the skills developed during their practicum, the correspondence with the
academic training received, and the richness of the experiences lived in the practicum. In addition, they indicate the need to be accompanied by the institutional tutor, to ensure that professional practicum becomes an integrating project rather than a requirement to be fulfilled in their subjects and to systematize, in a more efficient and transparent manner, access to companies that will receive them as apprentices.