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Reassessing the value of work-experience placements in the context of widening participation in higher education

Bennett, Roger; Eagle, Lynne; Mousley, Wendy; Ali-Choudhury, Rehnuma

Authors

Roger Bennett

Lynne Eagle

Wendy Mousley

Rehnuma Ali-Choudhury



Abstract

A questionnaire was distributed to the heads of graduate recruitment in 900 British firms querying the recipients’ views on (1) the main benefits alleged to accrue to students on vocational degrees who complete work experience periods; (2) the value for graduate employability of paid work undertaken during term time and vacations; and (3) the contributions to employability of academic group work within vocational degrees. A conjoint analysis examined the participants’ evaluations of the relative importance of a job applicant having graduated from a programme that included a work placement, compared with the candidate possessing a ‘good’ class of degree, a qualification from a pre-1992 university rather than a post-1992 institution, and a degree with substantial group-work content. It emerged that (despite the many changes in the British higher education environment occurring over the last couple of decades [top-up fees, widening participation, students engaging extensively in term-time employment, etc.]) most of the respondents held generally positive opinions regarding the usefulness of work placements. Sample members also tended to favour job applicants whose degrees had contained elements of group work. The class of degree a person had obtained and the type of university attended were seen as substantially less important for employability than whether the individual had completed a work placement. © 2008 The Vocational Aspect of Education Ltd.

Citation

Bennett, R., Eagle, L., Mousley, W., & Ali-Choudhury, R. (2008). Reassessing the value of work-experience placements in the context of widening participation in higher education. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 60(2), 105-122. https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820802042339

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Jan 1, 2008
Journal Journal of Vocational Education and Training
Print ISSN 1363-6820
Electronic ISSN 1747-5090
Publisher Routledge
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 60
Issue 2
Pages 105-122
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820802042339
Keywords work placements, internships, employability, sandwich courses, academic group work
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1016960
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13636820802042339




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