THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT IN THE AREA OF INTERNSHIP OF CUSTOMS ADMINISTRATION STUDENTS IN THE NORTHERN PHILIPPINES: CHALLENGES AND APPROACHES

Abstract

Getting a job is not easy nowadays, and adapting to the real-world workplace through OJT programs is an essential phase in an employee's career. Getting started in a new job can be quite stressful for them because of the potential challenges that are present at the working environment in their company. Thus, internships help to bridge the gap and convert interns to professionals by giving them actual work experiences and learning strategies to deal with various challenges that may arise in the customs administration industry. This study determined the strategies and challenges encountered by the ISAP Customs Administration interns in the working environment of their respective area of internship. Specifically, it aimed to determine the profile of respondents in terms of age, gender, company affiliated and religion to determine the strategies and challenges encountered by the interns, to test the significant difference when grouped according to their profile and to test the significant relationship between the strategies and challenges encountered by the respondents. Descriptive inferential method is utilized using questionnaires to gather data from a sample of 40 Customs Administration interns batch 2022. The analysis encompassed the utilization of frequency count, percentage distribution and weighted mean calculations. Results showed that interns encountered some challenges in terms of business ethics and employed strategies in terms of business management and leadership and company policies. Also, strategies and challenges encountered by the respondents with regards to the working environment are not affected when grouped according to their profile variables. However, there is a significant relationship between the strategies and challenges encountered by the respondents when regards to the working environment. The researchers recommended that the institution must conduct seminars together with the guidance office, on topics linked to challenges that may occur in a working environment to help the students develop competent qualities, and to help them be committed in creating effective coping mechanisms to address issues that may happen in their future workplace as interns and future professionals.