Can pay, should pay? Exploring employer and student perceptions of paid and unpaid placements

Abstract

Students can benefit from applying their emerging skillsets through a work placement, both in terms of consolidating their learning and in gaining a better appreciation of their subject area. However, the main motivation for students in completing a work placement is in their increased employability skills. The aim of this study is to identify the core issues underpinning the ‘paid versus unpaid’ student work debate through a unique opportunity to access student and employer experiences. The study explores motivations, experiences and outcomes from different placement models – both paid and unpaid – for students and employers. Using separate surveys for students and employers, drivers, motivations and experiences were explored. Employers from large multi-nationals to small- and medium-sized enterprises, from profit-making organisations to the third sector, took part in the study. Overall, the data support the argument that placements should be paid, highlighting the benefits accruing both to students and to employers from payment being a component of the placement experience. This is particularly the case when a placement is for an extended period of time and the work being undertaken is equivalent to that of a regular employee. However, the value of work experience to students, paid or unpaid, emerges strongly from the study, and so, finally, the article highlights issues and questions arising for the higher education sector.

Making co-op work: An exploration of student attitudes to co-op programs

“…Recent research suggests that graduate recruiters estimate 37% of graduate vacancies will be filled by applicants who have already worked for the organization as a placement student [13]. Employers cite other advantages including bringing new skills into an organization and having a specific task completed [5].…”

“…Student motivations for taking a placement include to improve job prospects, support their career decisions and to earn money [5]. These are all positive reasons for students to apply.…”

“…The reduction in numbers taking a placement highlighted by the NCUB study relates specifically to the 'standard' one year paid placement which normally attracts some academic credit, certainly some academic oversight for example, access to a placement tutor and pre-placement support. Before computing courses give up entirely on the one year model, which has been shown to be a good option for employers [5] the reasons behind the reduction in uptake should be explored. This paper describes a study of second year computing majors at a Scottish university.…”

“…The university places approximately 40 students every year which normally constitutes about a third of the second year student cohort. In addition, the university is active in a Scotland-wide paid placement project, e-Placement Scotland, designed to work with employers to create placement opportunities and advertise them across all Scottish universities and colleges [6]. These placements are most commonly 3 month summer placements and do not attract academic credit.…”

New technology, changing pedagogies? Exploring the concept of remote teaching placement supervision

“…This model of situated learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991) forms part of programmes of study in the health care professions (Nicolini, Scarbrough, & Gracheva, 2015;Penman & Oliver, 2004), a range of other professional fields (Cooper & Ord, 2014;Smith, Smith, & Caddell, 2015) or in any learning environment where the practicum is of value (Hughes, 1998;Ryan, Toohey, & Hughes, 1996). Practicum learning is integral to skill development in teacher education, particularly in the light of the increasing diversity of training models now available to those seeking to qualify (Lawson, Cakmak, Gunduz, & Busher, 2015;Musset, 2010).…”