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Aspirations and progression of event management graduates: A study of career development

Barron, Paul; Ali-Knight, Jane

Authors



Abstract

The provision of event management education in the higher education sector has grown significantly in recent years, yet little is known of the circumstances of the increasing number of graduates from these programmes. This paper examines the motivations, the expectations and the career aspirations of festival and event management graduates from a post-92 university in Scotland. Adopting a mixed methods approach, a quantitative on line survey was used to contact festival and event management alumni who had graduated during the period 2007 to 2012. This was followed by in depth interviews with 15 students. This study found that graduates felt academically prepared for working life in the industry, but lacked the practical skills required. In general, graduates held a positive view and could foresee long-term careers in the festival and event industry.

Citation

Barron, P., & Ali-Knight, J. (2017). Aspirations and progression of event management graduates: A study of career development. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 30, 29-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2017.01.005

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jan 20, 2017
Online Publication Date Feb 14, 2017
Publication Date Mar 1, 2017
Deposit Date Feb 20, 2017
Journal Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management
Print ISSN 1447-6770
Publisher Elsevier
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 30
Pages 29-38
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2017.01.005
Keywords Event management graduates; Career development; Aspirations; Industry progression
Public URL http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/687427