Linking Education and Career Readiness: Employment Outcomes of Bachelor of Science in Customs Administration Graduates of UC-LM: A Tracer Study

Abstract

Many recent graduates struggle to find jobs aligned with their discipline, including in the Philippines, where graduate employability remains a significant concern. One of the most persistent challenges is underemployment, in which college graduates are employed in roles that do not fully utilize their qualifications or skills. Hence, this study assessed the employability of Bachelor of Science in Customs Administration graduates of the University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue, S.Y. 2021-2024. The results of the study were used to formulate the intervention program. This study employed a descriptive correlational research design and the modified Graduate Tracer Study (GTS) survey questionnaire of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). The respondents of this study were the two hundred thirty-two (232) Bachelor of Science in Customs Administration (BSCA) graduates from the University of Cebu – Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue (UCLM) who completed their degree during the period. This study employed a descriptive correlational research design and the modified Graduate Tracer Study (GTS) survey questionnaire of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). The respondents of this study were the two hundred thirty-two (232) from the University of Cebu – Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue (UCLM) who completed their degree during the school years 2021 to 2024. Percentage, rank, weighted mean, the Chi-square test of independence, and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation (Pearson’s R) were used for data analyses. This investigation observed the ethical principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and autonomy. The results show that the majority of the respondents were single, males, from Region 7, Cebu, lived in the city, did not graduate from another course or program, and did not pursue graduate studies. More of them were 26 years old and did not take training or advanced studies. The respondents’ reason for taking the Bachelor of Science in Customs Administration program was the prospect of immediate employment. The majority of respondents were employed, held regular or permanent status, worked locally, were in their first job after college, were rank-and-file in both their first and current jobs, and a few were self-employed. More of them were in customs brokerage firms; responding to advertisements was their means of looking for jobs, and they earned Php 10,000.00 to less than P15,000.00. The majority of the respondents disclosed that the Bachelor of Science in Customs Administration (BSCA) curriculum is relevant to their first job, the learned communications skill was useful in the first and ccurrent job, the hard skill that they learned in college was customs documentation and processing, while the soft skills that they learned in college was communications and negotiation skills as weiil as problem solving and decision-making skills, strongly manifested the competencies stipulated in the Science in Customs Administration (BSCA) graduate attributes in terms of life long learning, effective communicator, ethically responsible, socially-collaborative, team player, technically-competent and service-oriented and strongly manifested the competencies stipulated in the Science in Customs Administration (BSCA) Program Outcomes (PO) in terms of becoming successful customs brokers practitioners and/or tariff specialist, developing into champions in the pursuit of lifelong learning and upholding the standards of professionalism, corporate conduct and the University of Cebu and College of Customs Administration core values, strongly manifested the competencies stipulated in the Science in Customs Administration (BSCA) Program Outcomes (PO) in terms of applying tariff and customs laws, rules, and regulations in order to classify, and appraise, and compute correct duties and taxes due to imported articles , lodging online import and export entry declarations , facilitating effectively the release of shipments from customs, analyzing and solving practical problems on matters related to tariff and custom laws. Act with integrity in the practice of the customs broker profession, and demonstrate social and ethical responsibilities towards the community and the environment. There is a significant relationship between the manifestation of the attributes of University of Cebu graduates among respondents and the competencies stipulated in the Bachelor of Science in Customs Administration Program Educational Objectives (PEO). There is a significant relationship between the respondents’ responses on the manifestation of the graduate attributes and their manifestation of the Bachelor of Science in Customs Administration Program Outcomes (PO). There is a significant relationship between the respondent’s demonstration of the competencies stipulated in the Bachelor of Science in Customs Administration Program Educational Objectives (PEO) and the Program Outcomes (PO). Therefore, the Bachelor of Science in Customs Administration (BSCA) graduates of the University of Cebu-Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue Campus were generally employable in the customs brokerage industry, where they practice their profession after obtaining their customs broker's license from the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC).