WORK-BASED EDUCATION AND IMAGE OF GRADUATES OF PANYAPIWAT INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

Abstract

The objective of this research was to study the image of Panyapiwat Institute of Management graduates through Work-based Education as a guideline for instructional development in producing graduates who are qualifed and possess good image. The data sources consisted of 22 graduates’employers, entrepreneurs, supervisors or managers whose subordinates are graduates with a bachelor’s degree from 9 faculties of Panyapiwat Institute of Management, one person in each feild. This research was a qualitative study by interviewing graduate employers in each study feild.

The research results revealed that the Work-based Education program could produce graduates’ images in the direction that the Institute desired. There were five aspects of identity as follows: (1) being able to work, which was the most outstanding identity because the graduates’ employers prioritized the application of their knowledge and abilities in performing their actual work, followed by (2) being able to learn; (3) being able to think, which was the foundation of being able to work; (4) focusing on culture; and (5) having morality, respectively. Undeniably, students practice so frequently through the Work-based Education program reflected that graduates had the quality acceptable to the firms. It also reflected the expected image (also known as “wish Image”) that graduates’ employers wanted graduates to have in accordance with their line of work, to make graduates ready to work, be able to adapt to the situation and continue learning and have self-development in order to help mobilize the organization quickly.