2025/04/10 by Geoffrey Evans
#Career Capital #Career Development #Employability #Social Capital #Work Placements
paper · doi:10.57898/ledger.301
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the benefits work placements have on student outcomes and encourage more students to make the most of the opportunities available. Graduate outcomes are still a very topical discussions within Higher Education, and the concept of value for money for students and the wider community, under the scrutiny of The Office for Students, is a key factor related to future funding. Design/methodology/approach: For the purposes of this report, and use of secondary data, a spreadsheet containing students who graduated in 2016/17 and 2017/18, produced by Salford University’s management information systems, will analyse those students who went on a professional placement year, or not, their degree and social-economic classifications and Polar quintile. Primary research will be conducted to assess students starting points; A level, BTEC, Access or other and whether they were the first students in their family to attend university. Findings: Based on the literature review, the employability models and primary and secondary research, a conceptual framework has been devised to address the intended outcomes of the research and corresponding models, to encourage all stakeholders in working together to support students as they progress into the world of work, with the necessary skills and attributes to succeed within their chosen professions. The more students with a positive educational experience, irrespective of their academic and cultural starting points, resulting in them securing graduate employment, will result in ensuring graduate outcomes of SBS improve significantly. Originality/value: According to a report by Atfield et al (2021) work placements during undergraduate study tend to link positively to student outcomes. However the report does go on to say that though the associations appear to be positive, little research has been done on the problem of self-selection. Social implications: There is limited knowledge and understanding on the impact student backgrounds have on their decision-making process, around seeking work placement opportunities. This study will focus on Salford Business School’s alumni who successfully completed a work placement, against those students with similar academic outcomes who didn’t, and measure the impact they felt it had in securing a graduate position.