Infusing authenticity into a service-learning program: examining long-term impacts on professional development

Purpose The employability of postgraduate students remains a critical concern in higher education, as postgraduate programs, particularly at the doctoral level, traditionally focus on disciplinary and research competencies. This leads to a lack of adequate preparation for employment, especially for non-academic roles. This study examines the long-term impacts of an authentic service-learning program on trainees' professional lives, with a particular emphasis on academia. This addresses the need for insight into the long-term impacts of initiatives that enhance postgraduate programs with opportunities for students to acquire transferable competencies prior to entering employment. Design/methodology/approach We adopted a narrative inquiry approach to investigate the impacts of a sustained, authentic-learning-based outreach program (GK-12). To explore trainees' experiences, we used a qualitative questionnaire followed by in-depth narrative interviews. A six-step inductive thematic analysis generated over twenty initial themes across different narratives, subsequently refined into nine primary themes. Findings Authentic service-learning experiences in the GK-12 program produced profound and lasting impacts on postgraduate trainees' professional development and career trajectories. These included developing a lasting commitment to outreach and social responsibility, clarifying professional goals, enhancing cultural agility, and building portfolios and communication skills that gave them a competitive advantage in securing employment in academia and industry. Originality/value This study provides a novel, empirically grounded understanding of the long-term impact of authentic service learning on postgraduate professional development. It addresses a critical gap in the literature on postgraduate employability from the participants' perspectives and highlights that authentic learning environments are active ingredients in fostering relevant and transferable skills beyond traditional disciplinary knowledge.