10th U6+ Consortium of African Universities International Conference

Graduate unemployment remains one of the most pressing socio-economic challenges in Kenya despite the widespread integration of internship programmes into university curricula as a strategy for enhancing graduates' workplace readiness. Although internships are intended to facilitate the acquisition of practical competencies, the extent to which the quality of internship programmes contributes to employability skills development remains insufficiently understood. Existing empirical studies have predominantly examined internship participation as a homogeneous experience, with limited attention to the multidimensional nature of internship programme quality and virtually no evidence from the Kenyan context on the moderating influence of supervisor support. This study, therefore, seeks to examine the influence of internship programme quality on employability skills development among Kenyan graduates, while assessing the moderating role of supervisor support. Specifically, the study examines the influence of skills preparedness and development, feedback and evaluation, and mentorship quality on graduates' employability skills development, and determines whether supervisor support strengthens these relationships. The study is anchored on Experiential Learning Theory, Human Capital Theory, and Mentorship Theory, which collectively explain how structured workplace learning, investment in human capital, and effective supervisory relationships enhance graduate employability. Guided by a positivist research philosophy, the study will employ a cross-sectional descriptive correlational research design. The target population comprises 1,200 graduates from Kenyan universities who completed mandatory internship programmes within the previous three years. A sample of 300 respondents will be selected using stratified random sampling. Primary data will be collected through a structured online questionnaire. Data will be analysed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, means, and standard deviations, while hypotheses and moderation effects will be tested using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with interaction terms. Ethical principles of informed consent, voluntary participation, confidentiality, and anonymity will be strictly observed throughout the study. The findings are expected to provide empirical evidence to universities, employers, policymakers, and professional bodies on how improving internship programme quality and strengthening supervisor support can enhance graduates' employability skills and contribute to addressing graduate unemployment in Kenya.