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

Ruth Brooks; Paul L. Youngson

doi:10.1080/03075079.2014.988702

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

Ruth Brooks, Paul L. Youngson

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

32 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Combining work experience with degree-level study is seen as a key differentiator for securing employment upon graduation in a competitive employment market. The positive benefits of sandwich courses, where up to 12 months is spent working in industry, are widely acknowledged in academic literature though data analysis tends to focus on cohorts in single subject areas with course-based factors possibly influencing outcomes. This paper explores the benefits of work placements on a cross-cohort basis with an institutional level study empirically analysing over three academic years the outcomes for placement students in comparison to non-placement students. The study found that completing a sandwich work placement is associated with improved academic performance in the final year of study. Placement students are also more likely to secure appropriate graduate-level work and higher starting salaries upon completion of their degree in comparison to non-placement students.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1563-1578
Number of pages	16
Journal	Studies in Higher Education
Volume	41
Issue number	9
Early online date	15 Dec 2014
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2014.988702
Publication status	Published - 1 Sep 2016

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career

sandwich course

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data analysis

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industry

market

performance

experience

Cite this

Brooks, R., & Youngson, P. L. (2016). Undergraduate work placements: An analysis of the effects on career progression. Studies in Higher Education, 41(9), 1563-1578. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2014.988702

Brooks, Ruth ; Youngson, Paul L. / Undergraduate work placements : An analysis of the effects on career progression. In: Studies in Higher Education. 2016 ; Vol. 41, No. 9. pp. 1563-1578.

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Brooks, R & Youngson, PL 2016, 'Undergraduate work placements: An analysis of the effects on career progression', Studies in Higher Education, vol. 41, no. 9, pp. 1563-1578. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2014.988702

Undergraduate work placements : An analysis of the effects on career progression. / Brooks, Ruth; Youngson, Paul L.

In: Studies in Higher Education, Vol. 41, No. 9, 01.09.2016, p. 1563-1578.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

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