Student placement service: An exploratory investigation of employer retention and a “Priority Partner” intervention

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors relating to retention of employers on an undergraduate work placement programme in a third level institution. Design/methodology/approach -An action research methodology involving problem diagnosis, intervention planning, action and evaluation is employed. The diagnosis involved a survey of 130 employers that had taken students on placement during the first two years of the placement programme. The action research also involved workshops with the work placement team and the making of an intervention with respect to enhancing the placement process through the introduction of a Priority Partner initiative for 26 of the employers. Findings -The survey findings reveal differences in the ranking of importance of college selection criteria by employers, as well the impact of the placement manager's characteristics on the placement process. The intervention findings show that the employer retention percentage increased for the Priority Partners but remained the same for the other employers.Research limitations/implications -The study reports qualitative findings in the context of a placement programme in one institution which limits external validity. Practical implications -Employer retention would seem to be improved with the development of a customer relations management orientation with employers. The role of the placement manager is pivotal to enhancing the retention of employers as is the quality and professionalism of the work placement service. Originality/value -New empirical data extends the very limited understanding of company retention on work placement programmes.

Experiential learning in accounting work-integrated learning: a three-way partnership

“…Burke et al, 2009;Simkins, 2009), Malaysia (Renganathan et al, 2012), Ireland (Walsh and Byrne, 2013) and Australia (Patrick et al, 2009;Smith et al, 2009), just to name a few. While these studies examine WIL in general, many of their recommendations are applicable to specialized fields such as accounting WIL.…”

University-led internships for innovative thinking: a theoretical framework

“…Hence, the placement manager has a crucial role in maintaining industry partnerships as the industry wants to deal with a manager they can trust, who understands their needs, and with whom they can collaborate (Walsh & Byrne 2013). Also, the industry expects a professional, responsive, efficient placement service that provides accurate information, a clear alignment of students with job specifications and an efficient interview process (Walsh & Byrne 2013). One way to achieve this is through maintaining interns and industry data appropriately by using web-portals (Neill & Mulholland 2003).…”

“…As long-term collaborations are challenging, engaging industry beyond formal agreements contributes to internship success (Hurn, 2016). Walsh and Byrne (2013) explain that industry collaborations need to be nurtured and fostered for long-lasting partnerships and customer retention techniques need to be used by universities to understand employers' needs and retain industry partners. This reduces the time and effort of searching for new organizations for student placements (Walsh and Byrne, 2013).…”

“…Walsh and Byrne (2013) explain that industry collaborations need to be nurtured and fostered for long-lasting partnerships and customer retention techniques need to be used by universities to understand employers' needs and retain industry partners. This reduces the time and effort of searching for new organizations for student placements (Walsh and Byrne, 2013). Hence, the placement manager has a crucial role in maintaining industry partnerships as the industry wants to deal with a manager they can trust, who understands their needs, and with whom they can collaborate (Walsh and Byrne, 2013).…”

Developing “employagility”: the 3Es case for live-client learning

“…Universities "have a role in the development of graduate employability other than CV and interview training" (Department for Business Innovation and Skills, Great Britain, 2012a, b), which can be embedded into courses of study. Much has been written about these opportunities (Brooks, 2013;Little and Harvey, 2006;Mandilaras, 2004;Morse, 2006;Walsh and Byrne, 2013) far less attention is given to evidence from client project learning opportunities (Wellman, 2010), with less still in small-to medium-sized enterprise (SME) context (Harris and Deacon, 2011). It is asserted that the nature of live-client projects provide specific outcomes for SME employers, students (engaged) and educators, which may differ from those gained in the traditional placement.…”