The 'yes moments': understanding students' sense of achievement during on-the-job training program

: Addressing the lack of empirical studies on the student’s experiences during the on-the-job training (OJT) program, this study explored situations that triggered student’s sense of achievement. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews from 56 students and were analysed using a qualitative approach. The findings suggest four critical ‘yes moments’ that lead to a sense of achievement: 1) being trusted; 2) the ability to accomplish a task; 3) being given a compliment; 4) the ability to solve a problem. The significance of the study lies in its contribution to the existing body of knowledge in tourism and hospitality education in terms of understanding students learning behavior. Also, the study is substantial for its insightful contributions to potentially improve the employability of students and in the long run, meet the supply and demand of labor in the hotel industry. The interpretations of the findings, implications, and directions for future are discussed.