Working to boost your prospects
Full-time students are being encouraged to find part time jobs to boost their future career prospects, according to a report which has come across the desk of Salford student accommodation provider Portergate.
The report, by student jobsite www.e4s.co.uk, reveals that the number of students aged 16 to 24 who take on part-time work while studying has dropped by eight per cent since 2008.
And three quarters of current students, who don’t hold down some form of part-time job, are missing out on the chance, not only to earn cash but to boost their CVs.
Compare that to the figures for the Netherlands, where six out of ten students work while at college or university.
In its report e4s quotes Spencer Thompson, an economic analyst for the think-tank the Institute of Public Policy Research, who explains why the situation is a cause for concern.
Hey says: “This matters because experience of paid work during study has been shown to help young people adjust to the demands and expectations of the workplace, boosting their employment chances after leaving education.”
NUS President Toni Pearce has blamed a culture of success expectation, putting pressure on students to concentrate on studies rather than work experience.
However, it is clear that many students, for whatever reason, are missing out on valuable experience that will give them a potential head start when it comes to putting that first foot on the career ladder.
And from a wider, economic view, UK businesses are missing out on seeing what students might bring to them later down the line, while also helping young people learn some of those “soft skills” so valuable in the workplace.
