For Koc et al. (2019) [17] cited by (Thiyazan and Kamal, 2021) [18] internship can be defined as a one-time service experience or work related to the main objective or career of the student, (Mohua, 2018) [19] defined internships as a chance to mix an undergraduate education with career experience by engaging in scheduled and supervised work. While, for Hoy (2011) [20] internships can be regarded as the cooperation of activities associated with work and educational qualifications.

Internship programmes have long been regarded as an important addition to undergraduate education, and they play a fundamental role in preparing students for their future careers. Therefore, it is imperative that institutions and retail employers continue to evaluate the type of internship programmes they have established and the types of interns they are cultivating (Hurst and Good, 2010) [12] .

There exist numerous studies including those of Clark (2003) [21] , Cook, Parker, and Pettijohn (2004) [22] , Knouse and Fontenot (2008) [23] ; Moghaddam (2011) [24] ; Perez (2001) [25] ; and Young, Wright, and Stein (2006) [26] proving that internship programmes are beneficial for internees in terms of interpersonal skills, improving career path, job probability, marketability, leadership, work readiness, and applying classroom theories in a business environment.

Internships as work-based learning enable students to participate in skills competition, co-operative education and job shadowing (Nicholas et al., 2015) [27] . Students who attended actively internship programmes are able to apply basic academic skills and know the professional skills that are expected by employers. At the same time, these students have positive attitude toward work and they are more willing to take responsibility for the job done (Kapareliotis et al., 2019) [28] .

The new graduates’ success in the workplace does not depend only on their theoretical knowledge gained through formal educational process, but also on specific competencies that students could gain through working-based learning. There are five highest-ranking competencies (soft skills) that are necessary for success in business environment namely, ability and willingness to learn, teamwork and cooperation, hardworking and willingness to take on extra work, self-control and analytical thinking. These competencies could be developed only if universities work together with real sector to develop workplace-oriented programmes (Pang et al., 2019) [29] . When students experience the theoretical knowledge in real working system, they realize the real benefit of learning process and the applicability of teaching materials. In the end, students assess the learning through practical experience very positively (Renganathan et al., 2012) [30] . During the internship program, students develop a comprehensive understanding of how to apply theoretical knowledge to solve practical problems (Ramsgaard and Østergaard, 2018) [31] .

Under theoretical literature, human capital theory and scientific theory of management are reviewed in line with professional internship programme and employment opportunities for the fresh graduates.

One way that HEIs can help students gain valuable experience and improve their employability is through internships. Several studies have shown a clear positive relationship between internship programmes and employability. Meththananda et al. (2018) [44] found that the dimensions of technical skills, soft skills, and career skills developed through internship programmes are closely related to graduate employability. Kapareliotis et al. (2019) [28] also found that students who attend internship programmes are more likely to be work-ready, possessing the skills required by employers and placing greater importance on intrinsic rewards.

Moreover, internships have been shown to benefit students, employers, and society as a whole in a number of ways. From the students’ perspective, internships provide them with real-world job experience and help them develop employability skills that are highly regarded by employers (Yang, Cheung, and Song, 2016) [45] . They also give students an overview of the work environment, which can be helpful in their career choices (Chan et al., 2020) [46] . From the employers’ perspective, internships can be an effective way to find talented individuals who may help grow their companies and overcome unemployment issues (Mabiza, Mahlalela, and Mbohwa, 2017) [47] .

Several studies have also shown that internships can lead to better job outcomes for students. Nunley et al. (2016) [48] found that internship experience increases the interview-request rate by about 14 percent and that the returns to internship experience are larger for non-business majors than for business majors. Cook, Parker, and Pettijohn’s (2004) [22] in their longitudinal study found that interns reported improved general ability to get along with people in work situations, greater confidence in finding a job upon graduation, and increased likelihood of influencing future career choices. Similarly, Knouse and Fontenot (2008) [23] identified that students who participate in internships benefit from increased chances of finding jobs and being offered full-time positions by the companies that hire them as interns.

Internships play generally a crucial role in improving graduate employability and make them successful into the workforce. Internships provide students with the skills and experience required by employers, improve their career prospects, and help them clarify their career goals. Internships also benefit employers by providing them with a pipeline of talented candidates, and society as a whole by addressing unemployment issues. Top of Form

This study was conducted in Rwanda, a country located in central Africa surrounded by the Democratic Republic of Congo in the West, the Republic of Burundi in the South, the Republic of Uganda in the North and the Federal Republic of Tanzania in the East. The study employed descriptive research design with mixed approach (qualitative and quantitative) to understand the contribution of National Professional Programme introduced by the RDB to the employability of HEIs graduates.

The study targeted 2158 HEIs graduates who are still or have been internees under the national professional internship programme for the period 2016-2021. Yamane (1967) [49] formula for sample size determination was applied as shown below:

n = N 1 + N ( e ) 2

whereby, n = sample size; N = target population and e = margin error, which is equal to 10% (0.1) in this case.

n = 2158 1 + 2158 ( 0.1 ) 2

n = 2158 22.58 = 95 . 57 ;

Sample size is 95. In terms of sampling techniques, simple random technique was used whereby every individual had an equal chance of being selected. This is due to the fact that every individual among the target population is knowledgeable enough about the professional internship under the National Professional Internship Programme.

Data were collected using questionnaire composed of closed questions administered to the respondents using online mode as an approach of reaching a big number of respondents in a short period of time. Interviews with key participants were also conducted. Documentation was also used to enable gathering and make use of various specialized reports, and other scientific works.

In order to ensure the questionnaire’s validity, a pilot study with a small number of internees under the NPIP and some staff in the implementation of the programme was conducted. Identical questions were repeatedly asked during the interview but in a different context. For testing internal consistency reliability, Cronbach’s α has been calculated using the questionnaire’s items. The result was found to be equal to 0.769 (see Table 1). This is therefore acceptable as recommended by George and Mallery (2003) [50] .

After collecting data from the field, data were processed through editing, coding and tabulating before embarking on the analysis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution, and percentage to summarise data that describe the variables of the study in Tables. Qualitative data collected from interview were narratively analyzed to supplement and give more insights on the findings.

The demographic characteristics of the respondents contain important information which have something to do with their opinions as well as experience. Table 2 provides a summary of such characteristics in terms of age, sex, marital and disability status.

As shown in Table 2, all the respondents are aged above 20. However, the majority (about 98%) are between 21 and 35 years old. Only 2.1% of all respondents are aged above 35. This implies that all those who participate in professional internship programme are in the working age. Table 2 also reveals that both males and females participated in the professional internship programme though males dominate with 55% compared to 45% of females.

Source: Field data, 2022.

Source: Field data, 2022.

Table 2 also indicates that 62.1% of all respondents are single while 36.8% and 1.05% are respectively married and divorced. This shows that the majority of those who participate in the professional internship program are single and this is not surprising as 84.1% of all the respondents are young with 47.3% aged between 20 and 25 and 36.8% aged between 26 and 30. In addition, Table 2 reveals that few participants (5.3% of respondents) in the professional internship programme have some disabilities. This implies that the professional internship programme is inclusive.

Table 3 summarizes the demographic characteristics of the respondents in terms of educational background information such as education level, Alma mater, University grade and year of graduation of the respondents.

The results in Table 3 show that the respondents possessing diploma are 26.3%, Bachelor’s degree are 71.5%, and Master’s degree are 2.1%. Regarding Alma mater, the results indicate that those in professional internship programme are from various HLIs such as the University of Rwanda (UR), Kigali Independent University ULK, Integrated Polytechnic Regional College (IPRC), University of Tourism, Technology and Business Studies (UTB), Adventist University of Central Africa (AUCA), University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK), Institut Catholique de Kabgayi (ICK), AKilah/Davis College, Mount Kenya University (MKU), and University of Kigali (UoK). However, the majority are from University of Rwanda, Kigali Independent University ULK, and Integrated Polytechnic Regional Colleges (IPRCs) with 28.4%; 26.3%; and 15.7% respectively.

Source: Field data, 2022.

This indicates that both private and public universities are represented in the national professional internship programme.

In terms of grades, 7.3% have First Class, 66.3% have Second Class, Upper Division and 26.3% have Second Class, Lower Division. The respondents also showed that they have graduated in different years between 2017 and 2021 whereby, 6.3% graduated in 2017; 12.6% in 2018; 27.3% in 2019; 35.8% in 2020; and 17.9% in 2021. However, the graduates who are admitted to the national professional internship programme have various areas of studies. Table 4 summarises the statistics according to their areas of studies.

Source: Field data, 2022.

Table 4 shows the various areas of study are represented under the National Professional Internship Programme (NPIP). However, the areas such as Economics, IT and Law have great shares in the NPIP compared to the other areas of studies. They occupy 14.7%; 20%; and 17.9% of the respondents respectively. On the other hand, the areas such as information system, public relations, finance, agro-business, business administration, land survey, food processing, business management, project management, food and science technology, and international business and trade are each represented by 1.1% of the respondents. The officials in charge of the NPIP at Rwanda Development Board (RDB) show that the unbalanced statistics of the applicants in various areas of study is caused by the limited available internship vacant posts in some areas. The graduates conduct internship under the NPIP in various institutions as presented in Table 5.

Source: Field data, 2022.

Table 5 indicates that the top institutions in admitting the internees under the NPIP are RDB (16.8%), RBC (13.6%), Districts offices (9.4%), and MINAGRI (6.3%) and NPPA (6.3%). Institutions such as MINEMA, Gasabo 3D, CHUK, NESA, RSSB, REMA, MININFRA, MINUBUMWE, UR, and 250 Start Up Incubation Center have each admitted one internee (1.1%). These results indicate that few private institutions participate in the NPIP. Furthermore, the duration of internship programme is either for 6 months or 12 months as summarised in Table 6.

According to Table 6, those who did internship for a period less than 6 months

Source: Field Data, 2022.

are 4.2% and those who did internship for a period between 6 and 12 months are 95.7%. It is however evident that the majority of the respondents did internship under the NPIP for a period between 6 and 12 months. This can be caused by the fact that the NPIP is designed for 6 months with the possibility of extension or job opportunities beforehand.

In order to understand the extent to which the NPIP enhances the internees’ work readiness and employability skills, necessary information on the perceptions of internees was gathered using a questionnaire made of five-point Likert scale items distributed to the fresh graduates from various HLIs who are either currently doing or already completed professional internship. Table 7 provides a summary of the results.

According to Table 7, the internees rated their perceptions on various skills acquired from the internship under the NPIP. Such skills include interpersonal and teamwork, sector-specific, communication, computer, ability to adapt and act in a new environment, reading and writing, analytical and problem-solving, planning and organization, decision-making, language, presentation, research skills, job acquisition, personal characteristics and attitudes and master academic skills. The results indicate that the majority of the respondents rated very high and high respectively the skills gained from internship under the NPIP. Only two skills were rated by the respondents as very low. These are interpersonal and teamwork skills and sector-specific skills rated respectively very low by 3% and 2% of the respondents.

These results are consistent with existing empirical literature that the internship provides students with an opportunity to acquire research and professional skills and new understanding of theoretical knowledge (Hynie et al., 2011) [51] . In addition, Kohlmeyer et al. (2017) [52] state that internship programmes benefit graduates in a number of ways such as job-related benefits (acquiring professional skills and work experience), career-related benefits (career development support, social support and role modelling), and networking/job market benefits (creating links and network with other people in the business world).

The results of this study imply that professional internship under the NPIP has been beneficial to the internees and contributed to a large extent to the enhancement of their work readiness and employability skills. This is also emphasized

Source: Field data, 2022.

by the information collected from the interview with the internees who focused on the rationale and benefits of the professional internship under the NPIP.

In terms of practical professional skills, for instance, one of the interviewees said: “During the internship I was assigned with taking the weekly meeting minutes. Even though I had educational background in language I was not familiar with taking the professional minutes. In the end, I learnt from my mistakes and I can tell you that I am currently well equipped with necessary professional meeting minutes taking skills.” This supports existing literature that internship gives young candidates the opportunity to practice their theoretical knowledge and develop their skills and experiences within the sector (Bogdana, Mihaela and Anca-Ioana, 2012) [53] . Similarly, Pang et al. (2019) [29] added that the new graduates’ success in the workplace does not depends only on their theoretical knowledge gained through formal educational process, but also on specific competencies that students could gain through working-based learning.

In addition, the professional internship helped the internees acquiring decision making skills and presentation skills. One interviewee testified that “As an internee with less confidence and working experience, the decisions I had to make were minor but at the end of the internship, my experience and confidence was somehow improved, and hence decision-making skills was also improved.” Another interviewee said: “Before professional internship, I was not aware of how to write a well-presented CV and lack employable skills required in the workplace as well as ethical values. However, the internship linked me to experienced people who helped me to acquire the skills I was missing and I am currently employed. Thanks to the internship, the skills acquired still help me to perform well in my duties.”

In relation these results, D’Abate, Youndt and Wenzel (2009) [54] stressed that internship provides learning opportunities, opportunities for career development, support from on-site supervisors and co-workers, organizational satisfaction and opportunities to form networks. Accordingly, Jawabri (2017) [55] points out that these factors help the internees in forming supportive relationships with co-workers and thus contribute to the level of satisfaction.

One of the expected benefits of the NPIP is opening the doors for employment opportunities to the HLIs fresh graduates. In order to know whether the NPIP opens the doors for employment opportunities to graduates, necessary information was gathered and analysed to know their employment status after internship as presented in Table 8.

Refer to Table 8, it is evident that the majority of respondents manage to find or create employment opportunities after the internship under the NPIP. More specifically, 30.5% are employed in various organisations and 7.4% have managed to create their jobs and they are now self-employed. However, 27.4% are still unemployed though they completed internship under the NPIP, and, 34.7% are yet to complete their internship. In general, more than one third of the respondents employed after internship either by landing employment opportunities or creating their own employments. The results therefore imply that there is a probability of getting employed after completing professional internship. In line with the findings, Nunley et al., (2016) [48] ; Silva et al. (2016) [56] ; Saniter and Siedler (2014) [57] ; Binder et al., (2015) [58] cited by Chen et al. (2020) [59] found that students who listed an internship on their resume received 14% more offers for an interview than those who did not and students who had an internship have 15% lower unemployment, 6% higher wages five years after graduation and final year grades that are 3.4% higher than those who did not have an internship

Furthermore, there is a need to assess whether there is a linkage between professional internship under the NPIP and graduates’ employment opportunities after internship. To understand such a linkage, various channels by which the graduates can get employment during or after professional internship were considered using data collected from those who managed to find or create employment opportunities after internship as presented in Table 9.

Regarding the linkage of the graduates’ professional internship to the employment opportunities, Table 9 clearly indicates that there is a linkage between internship and employment opportunities. Out of 95 respondents who participated in the study, 36 managed to land a job opportunity after internship; and

Source: Field Data, 2022.

Source: Field data, 2022.

5.6% of them got the employment in the organisations where they complete internship, 19.4% landed jobs as a result of internship connection, 13.9% got hired after internship supervisor’s recommendation, and 50% got employed due to experience gained from internship. However, only 11.1% got a job not linked to the internship. These findings give an impression that the internship does not only open the doors for employment opportunities to the graduates in the organisations where they conduct internship but also link them to other organisations through recommendations, connections and experience gained. These results support existing findings that students benefit from internship programmes by having working experience (Biškupec and Herman 2019) [60] , which can be described as “practicum”, “gap-year”, “internship”, “cooperative educational experience” or “work-integrated learning” (Martin et al., 2012) [61] cited by (Pang et al., 2019) [29] .

This is also supported by the testimonies from interviewees who stressed on the positive outcomes of professional internship in finding or creating employment opportunities. One of the interviewees who got a job from the connection gained during the period of professional internship said: “One evening, the institution in which I conducted professional internship organized a workshop whereby employers from other organisations were invited. In that workshop, I had a chance to make a short presentation related to my duties. After the workshop, I get called for exchange by one of the employers from other organizations who was convinced by presentation and that is how I got a job in his organisation.” This implies that professional internship exposes the internees to the job market by linking them to other employers. In line with this, existing literature shows that students who did internship are immersed in a work environment, arranged or endorsed by their university, to experience the routines of employment (Pang et al., 2019) [29] .

Another interviewee who is now self-employed testified that the idea of creating her own job was from the experience gained from professional internship. She said: “When I was doing professional internship, I did become aware of the societal issues that I was not aware of before. In the sake of finding solutions to those issues, I did manage to transform such issues into opportunities which led me to the creation of my own business. I am now an owner of a business.” This implies that professional internship can enable internees to create their own jobs. This is also confirmed by existing literature which shows that professional internships can have a positive impact on entrepreneurial intentions and self-efficacy among students (Botha and Bignotti, 2016 [62] ; Yi, 2018) [63] . Professional internships also enhance entrepreneurial intent and self-efficacy among tertiary-level entrepreneurship education students (Botha and Bignotti, 2016) [62] .

The study assessed the contribution of the national professional internship programme for higher learning students to their future employment opportunities in Rwanda. The study solely targeted the higher learning institutions graduates that had conducted professional internship under the national professional internship programme, implemented and coordinated by the RDB. From the internees’ perceptions, the study found that professional internship provides internees with skills needed on labour market namely interpersonal and team work skills, sector-specific skills, communication skills, computer skills, ability to adapt and act in a new environment, good reading and writing skills, planning and organization skills, decision making skills, language skills, presentation skills, research skills, job acquisition skills amongst others.

Regarding output and outcome of professional internship, the results of the study indicate that professional internship linked internees to employment opportunities in number of ways namely through connections gained during internship, internship supervisors’ recommendations, and experience and job seeking skills gained from internship. This study therefore emphasizes and contextualizes the importance of professional internship to fresh graduates’ professional career building.

Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations are made:

1) There is need for the government to establish permanent task force to overseeing and facilitating professional internship programme implementation. This will help in coordination of partnerships through public-private institutions partnership in this area and raise public awareness of the importance of professional internship.

2) The government through RDB should structure Professional internship programme in the manner that it can accommodate and benefit as many as possible graduates who can apply for it. In addition, it should be structured in the manner that it provides a motivation to internees.

3) The internees should actively participate in the Professional internship programme to benefit from the benefits package offered in order to increase their chance to land job opportunities.

4) This study focused on the contribution of professional internship under the national professional internship programme coordinated by RDB to the employment prospect of the fresh graduate. There is therefore a need for further researchers to conduct similar studies on professional internship schemes offered by other organisations to diversify the findings of this study.