EVALUATION OF THE QUALITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS BY EMPLOYERS: THE CASE OF THE TOURIST DESTINATION IN JARDINES DEL REY, CUBA

In recent years, interest in the impact of higher education on the economic and social development of the regions has increased. One of the ways to achieve impact is the quality of human capital formation in relation to the needs of the labor market. Universities are therefore encouraged to embed key skills in their curricula, yet there is often a considerable gap between what educational institutions offer and what is needed and required by the industry. At the international level, many institutions of higher education maintain a constant monitoring of the quality of their graduates, this is achieved through the evaluation of employer satisfaction with the training of graduates. The University of Ciego de Avila, Cuba (UNICA) improves its strategic management processes through the application of the Balanced Scorecard principles. One of the indicators of greatest strategic value is the satisfaction of employers with the training of graduates. The tourism industry is an important sector of growth in the Cuban economy, in the province of Ciego de Avila the demand for professionals in this sector is high. This study examines the quality of UNICA graduates from the perspective of the employer at the Jardines del Rey tourist destination. The results report that the satisfaction of the results with the training of the graduates is conditioned by the acquisition of transversal competences. Among the most valued stand out lifelong learning, work in the team and leadership, the ability to analyze and solve problems and effective communication.