THE EXTENT OF SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES DEVELOPMENT AMONG CRIMINOLOGY – INTERNS OF THE OUR LADY OF THE PILLAR COLLEGE-SAN MANUEL INC., A.Y 2025-2026 AND ITS RELATION TO WORK READINESS

This study evaluates the work readiness of fourth-year criminology interns from the Our Lady of the Pillar College – San Manuel, Inc., focusing on the skills and competencies developed during their internship and their preparedness for professional work. The research highlights the significance of the internship program in bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application. Key findings reveal that the interns demonstrated a high level of competency in skills such as preparing forensic evidence, conducting investigations, and adapting to work environments. Additionally, the study indicates that the interns felt fully prepared in terms of personal characteristics, social intelligence, and work competence, particularly in managing workloads and building professional relationships. The results of the ANOVA and Pearson correlation tests show no significant difference in work readiness across personal characteristics, social intelligence, work competence, and organizational competence, while a strong positive relationship was found between the skills developed during the internship and overall work readiness. The findings underscore the value of immersive, hands-on training in enhancing students' preparedness for professional work in law enforcement and related fields. The study recommends improvements in areas such as technical report writing, community engagement, and understanding organizational processes. It also suggests that future internships focus more on case-based and field-oriented activities to deepen students' application of criminological concepts.