SRHE Network for Employability Enterprise and Work based
SRHE Network for Employability, Enterprise and Work based Learning Employability and Social Mobility Workshop Exploring barriers Dr Sally Smith & Dr Colin Smith Edinburgh Napier University 24/05/2016
Introduction • Graduate Employability Project • Can Pay, Should Pay? e-Placement Scotland
Graduate Employability Project • £ 1. 6 m over 3 years, funded by Scottish Funding Council • £ 600 K for curriculum development • Modules included • Portfolio Development in Creative Computing • Employability Semester for Graphic Design • Credit-bearing internships in Film and TV • Credit-bearing clinic for Law
Barriers Research • Who is engaging –attending preparation events etc? • Who isn’t – and why? • Self-identification – did the modules impact on students’ identity? • Leading on from barriers to placement study • • Cost of additional time to graduation (UK and US) Loss of on-campus social interaction (US) In spite of acknowledging advantage to future job prospects UK data – 44% preferred to concentrate on degree (direct entrants) Ramirez, N. , Smith, S. , Smith, C. , Berg, T. , Strubel, B. , Main, J. , Ohland, M. (2016). From Interest to Decision: A Comparative Exploration of Student Attitudes and Pathways to Co-op Programs in the United States and the United Kingdom. International Journal of Engineering Education.
Identity theories Identity theory – role based, multiple roles, identity salience/ commitment Social identity theory – group based identification, in/out groups & associated behaviour
Student identity/ Professional identity • Knowledge seeker • Expert: recognition of skills and competence • Analytical, technical, reflective • Associated with status • Professional identity: Coherent image of self as a professional (Cascio & Gasker, 2011)
Identity adaptation • Influenced by: • • • Role models Possible selves Developmental networks
GEP Study • • • 103 students surveyed, three different courses Role models – yes but distant Imaginings of selves in working environment – yes Developmental networks – very limited, sometimes mum Lacked awareness of new courses as opportunity for workrelated learning Smith, S, Smith, C, Taylor-Smith, E. , Fotheringham, J. , Dencer-Brown, I. (2016) Exploring Student Identity through a University-Wide Graduate Employability Initiative, WACE Symposium, Victoria, Canada, June 2016
Can Pay, Should Pay? • Study explored paid and unpaid work opportunities from employer and student perspectives “ideally, every full-time undergraduate should have the opportunity to experience a structured, university-approved undergraduate internship during their period of study” (Wilson 2012: 40). • New elitism – advantages for those who can work for free? • Explored the issue in the main through two ‘Learning to Work 2’ projects – e. Placement Scotland 3 rd sector internships, both providing paid placements
Can Pay, Should Pay? – Scope and Methodology • • • Survey of students and employers engaged in placement activity. Multi sector (Third Sector and IT sector in particular). Students from across Scotland. Sent to 200 employer / student pairs. Responses from 48 employers, 82 students. Majority of respondents noted paid placement as most recent experience, but a significant number were able to reflect on unpaid experience.
Key Findings: Employers • Diverse range of experiences and perspectives on placements in general, as well as insights in to the critical question of payment. • Employer Motivations – New skills and ideas – Supplement staffing resource – Ethical and practical dimensions of paying an intern (or not) • “strongly against unpaid internships” • Inappropriate not to pay, given length and level of work done. • Expect more tangible outcomes from paid placements. “Third Sector Internships Scotland offers an ethical alternative to the sorts of internships that have been favouring the children of the already well-off” (TSI Employer)
Key Findings: Students • Perceived ‘value’ of work – Gaining experience, paid or unpaid, seen as crucial. – BUT: payment a marker of ‘value’ of work. – Ethical concerns clearly evident in students’ thinking “Unpaid placements are mostly disorganised and lack a structure. Often, when I worked as a volunteer I did not have a specific role and responsibilities. Instead, I was given tasks from different departments with no set times. Paid placement requires employees to create a development plan for their interns. ” “I think that unpaid placements create inequality of opportunity. It means that only those with the wealth to work without pay can access opportunities. This just exacerbates existing inequalities, and I think it's abhorrent that unpaid internships continue to be a feature of graduate employment markets worldwide. ”
Key Findings: Students • Payment as an Enabling Factor – “If I had not been offered a paid internship, I would have had to get a job which did not provide such valuable experience e. g. waitressing, retail assistant. I have discussed the experience in almost every interview I have had since and believe it was crucial in securing a job after my Masters. ” – “At the current time it is extremely difficult to consider undergoing a placement that is unpaid due to time restrictions in allowing for a paid job alongside [a] placement and studying. ” – “In the words of my manager: "The slave trade ended a long time ago, you do the work, you should be paid. "” • Placement experience as a whole important. Support and development, not just pay is key.
Conclusion • We are not yet asking about social mobility indicators – interested to explore wide range of indicators • Lack of developmental networks affecting recognition of significance of work-related opportunities • Lack of paid work affecting uptake
Thank you!
- Slides: 15