Undergraduate work placements: an analysis of the effects on career progression

Brooks, Ruth; Youngson, Paul L.

doi:10.1080/03075079.2014.988702

Cited by 118 publications

(99 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…This is in line with studies showing that the more hours the students work, the more negative the effect on their grades is (Callender 2008;Bradley 2006). The present study did not confirm previous research showing that work experience within a student's study field was related to a higher grade (Wang et al 2010;Brooks and Youngson 2014). Moreover, some studies have found no relationship between working and grades (Sulaiman and Mohezar 2006;Nonis and Hudson 2006).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

“…Empirical evidence exists of work experience related to one's own academic field increasing students' grade point average (Wang et al 2010). Similar results have been found in research concerning internship (Brooks and Youngson 2014;Patel et al 2012). However, it has also been found that working students achieved lower grades than non-working students (Hunt et al 2004;Salamonson et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 61%

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Work experience in relation to study pace and thesis grade: investigating the mediating role of student learning

et al. 2015

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University students often work during their studies, and working is considered to be one reason for high dropout rates or slow progress in studies. Moreover, the nature of students' work experience varies greatly. The study aimed to explore how working while studying is related to study success, and took approaches to learning and the nature of the work experience into account. A total of 1023 students completed a questionnaire at the time of their graduation. The results showed that doing other academic work was related to a deep approach to learning, and non-academic work was related to a surface approach and unorganised studying. Moreover, the results revealed that organised studying has an important role in terms of study pace. The study suggests that by emphasising students' organising skills and supporting their deep-level learning, students have better possibilities to create links between work experience and studies.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Work experience in relation to study pace and thesis grade: investigating the mediating role of student learning

et al. 2015

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“…Students gain relevant and paid employment whilst employers seek commitment, communication skills and specific aptitudes pertaining to degree type. Students who have taken a placement are at a distinct advantage over students who have not when applying for work after graduation [12]. Employers benefit from student placement too.…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Brooks and Youngson [12] suggest students do not see future remuneration in placements, 'long term benefits are not always appreciated with fewer students engaging in the process'. Lowden reports upon the high expectations of the employer, 'graduates need to demonstrate a range of skills and attributes that include team working, communication, leadership, critical thinking, problem solving and often managerial abilities or potential' [14].…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Smith

Berg

Smith

2015

2015 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)

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Engineering and computing at university both have a long tradition of co-operative education which plays a vital role in developing students' applied skills and giving confidence to both students and potential employers. Co-op education refers to relevant work experience integrated into a course. The main motivation for students in completing a co-op program, or placement, is in their increased employability skills; however, students cite other benefits such as increased interest in their subjects at university, improved grades on return from placement and support for career decisions. A study was designed to explore the reasons why students did not take a placement, and we considered both those students who tried but were not successful in securing a placement and those who did not apply for placements. The qualitative study revealed that students who applied but were not successful had in some cases limited their options by being selective in the placements for which they had applied. For some, it came down to excessive competition for the roles. For those that did not apply, stated reasons included anxiety about their abilities, sacrifices (such as giving up part-time paid work and apartments), concern about losing their study skills and difficulties in reconciling family and social commitments with the time requirements of full-time work. This paper explores the findings and asks how we can make coop programs work for students.

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“…However, there is a competition for the most skilled professionals in the computing and software engineering job market. Work placements have been shown to be beneficial to careers after graduation [1] and learning about the industry affects the students' career choices [10]. Permission to make digital or hard copies of part or all of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%