Why work experience can change your life
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Professor Helen Higson presents research from Aston University on the benefits of work experience for students. The research shows that [1] work experience improves academic performance, with lower achieving students benefitting the most, [2] students who take work placements have better career outcomes like higher employability and pay, and [3] work placements help students develop transferable skills like time management and confidence. Aston University has seen much success in formalized work placement programs, with over 60% of undergraduate students and 800 placement opportunities per year.
Why work experience can change your life
- 1. P Professor Helen Higson Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor of Higher Education Learning and Management 19 May 2011
- 2. Why work experience can change your life ? Recent research at Aston University ? Research informed practice ? Considerable track record of practice ? Case study examples
- 3. Research informs practice Placements and degree performance: Do placements lead to better marks, or do better students choose placements? ? Driffield, N.L, Foster, C.S., and Higson, H.E. ? Aston Business School, Aston University, No regrets? Measuring the career benefits of a psychology placement year ? Moores, E. and Reddy, P. ? Psychology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University,
- 4. Key findings ? Work experience (placement) improves your degree result ? The ¡®best¡¯ students take up work experience (placement) ? Those with lower academic achievement benefit most from work experience (placement) ? Work experience (placement) improves a student¡¯s transferrable skills and time management, confidence and a sense of responsibility ? Work experience (placement) improves career direction, employability and pay levels dramatically
- 5. Innovative and forward thinking: Integrated work placements: Aston University case study 35% offered Aston Business School 1,200 Over 60% of graduate jobs Over 800 placement Aston¡¯s within their Aston placement vacancies a undergraduate placement undergraduate database year generated students take company students take a advertises over by Careers and ¡®sandwich¡¯ 12 month 2,500-3,000 Employability courses placement opportunities Service each year
- 6. Employer Links: Graduate Advantage case study 35% of graduates go into full time job after internship HEFCE ? Aston is the single largest provider of HEFCE internships in the UK funded Established 2003 and ? 65% Professional Services sector employs team of 14 staff Over 1,000 ? Aston leads partnership of from Aston placed Wolverhampton, Staffs, UCB AWM funded ? 20,000 local employers registered Times Higher Award for ? SME specialist Outstanding Employer 921 placements ? 13 weeks is the average length of Engagement 2010 Finalist placements ERDF funded ? Internships in High Growth SMEs ? Starts April 2011 for 3 years 1,400 interns ? Aston-led consortium of ten HEIs
- 7. Bibliography ? Driffield, N.L., Foster, C.S., and Higson, H.E. (2011), ¡®Placements and degree performance: Do placements lead to better marks, or do better students choose placements?¡¯ (under review). ? Gomez, S., Lush, D. and Clements, M. (2004) Work placements enhance academic performance of bioscience undergraduates, Journal of Vocational Education and Training, Vol.56 (3), pp.373-385. ? Green, J. P. (2011) The impact of a work placement or internship year on student final year performance: An empirical study, International Journal of Management Education, Vol.9 (2), pp.49-57. ? Mendez, R. and Rona, A. (2010), ¡®The Relationship between Industrial Placements and Final Degree Results: a study of engineering placement students¡¯, Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Issue 4-2, pp.46-61. ? Reddy, P. and Moores, E. (2006), ¡®Measuring the benefits of a psychology placement year¡¯, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol.31 (5), pp.551-567