Bridging Culinary Education and Industry: The Impact of Mentoring Functions on Internship Satisfaction and University–Industry Collaboration Among Culinary Students

Abstract

This study aims to examine the effects of culinary undergraduate students' perceptions of mentoring on internship satisfaction and university–industry collaboration. Quantitative data were collected from 236 students undertaking compulsory internships in restaurant establishments in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The relationships between the composite mentoring variable—comprising career development support, psychosocial support, and role modeling—and internship satisfaction as well as perceptions of university–industry collaboration were tested using correlation and simple linear regression analyses. The findings revealed that mentoring functions made strong and significant contributions to internship satisfaction and perceptions of university–industry collaboration. Descriptive statistics for the scale items indicated that students' perceptions of mentoring functions were slightly above the moderate level, suggesting considerable potential for the institutionalization of mentoring practices within the hospitality industry. The study supports the validity of a multidimensional mentoring framework in the context of culinary education and highlights the importance of structured mentoring programs for workplace supervisors in enhancing the quality of internship experiences.