Defense of the Thesis of Ainhoa Ullibarriarana Garate
Defense of the Thesis of Ainhoa Ullibarriarana Garate
Defense of the Thesis of Ainhoa Ullibarriarana Garate
Thesis title: Dual Training in Higher Education: Learning Environments and Sustainable Labor Integration. An Analysis from the Experiences of Students and Mentors. Qualification obtained: EXCELLENT CUM LAUDE
On Friday, March 14, doctoral candidate Ainhoa Ullibarriarana Garate presented her Doctoral Thesis at the Aula Magna of the Oñati Campus. The event, which began at 11:00 a.m., marked a significant milestone in her academic career.
Thesis committee:
- President: Dr. Jordi Lluis Coiduras Rodríguez (Universitat de Lleida)
- Secretary: Dra. Ainara Imaz Aguirre (MU - HUHEZI)
- Member: Dra. Arantza Arruti Gómez (University of Deusto)
Thesis directors:
- Dr. Mikel Mesonero de Miguel
- Dra. Izaskun Agirre Aramburu
Summary of the thesis:
Higher education has experienced a surge in the adoption of dual training models. This trend, which transcends traditional professional training, seeks to respond to challenges such as youth unemployment, skills shortages, and difficulties in labor market integration.
Academic research has predominantly focused on professional training, prioritizing the student perspective and classroom environment. This has limited the understanding of workplace learning and overlooked the crucial role of individuals responsible for guiding apprentices' learning in real work contexts.
Thus, this doctoral thesis primarily aims to understand how the design of the learning environment in the workplace influences the success of university dual training programs. It analyzes how work resources and job characteristics impact the sustainable employability of learners, considering indicators such as unemployment duration, professional satisfaction, and the development of professional competencies. To achieve this, a methodological approach is adopted that combines the perspectives of those guiding apprentices in workplace learning and the apprentices themselves.
This doctoral thesis is presented as a collection or compendium of three scientific articles that, together, offer a significant contribution to advancing knowledge in this emerging field. Each article explores a specific facet of the research topic, allowing for detailed analysis and subsequent dissemination of results in various scientific journals.
In the first article, the job characteristics that favor workplace well-being experiences in a university dual training program are investigated from the apprentices' perspective, analyzing their direct impact on the initial unemployment duration of young apprentices, with a specific analysis of how gender may influence this relationship.
The second article considers the influence of work resources as a determining factor in shaping the professional satisfaction of apprentices, examining from their own perspective the critical conditions for building a positive work experience during their dual training.
Finally, the third article examines the structural configuration of the work environment and its impact on the construction and consolidation of professional competencies of university apprentices, adopting an analytical perspective from those responsible for their practical training.
Ultimately, this doctoral thesis aims to deepen the theoretical and practical understanding of the learning environment in the workplace within dual training programs in higher education, with the objective of providing an interpretive framework that not only enriches existing academic knowledge but also offers concrete guidance for designing and implementing more effective, efficient, and labor market-aligned training programs.
Event photos:
You can view the photos from the thesis defense at the following link:
