Amid attacks on universities from politicians across the world and a growing mistrust among some sections of the public, the higher education sector is under pressure like never before. Could improving student employability be the answer to the “question mark” hanging over higher education?
Dublin City University (DCU) has been working on this answer since 2019 through an opt-in programme that has helped almost 500 students with fully paid summer internships.
The Access to the Workplace programme was created to solve a gap between students from lower socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds and their more affluent class peers in professional work experience.
“The main aim of the programme was grounded in the belief that equality of access into higher education does not necessarily equate to equality of outcome for certain groups in society,” Fiona Hudson, programme lead, told 探花视频.
“The programme’s aim is to bridge that gap for students that might find it challenging to get into the workplace due to their limited connections or their professional work experience and their limited social and cultural capital.”
Research in Ireland has shown that more disadvantaged students who achieve the same grades from the same degree face lower earnings than others when they graduate.
Facilitating students to take work placements is one of the ways in which universities can contribute towards the?United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals,?in particular SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth). In the latest?THE?Impact Rankings?– recently relaunched as the?Sustainability Impact Ratings?– DCU ranks in the the top 200 globally in the SDG 8 table, which includes an indicator on?the proportion of students taking work placements, as well as other measures relating to research and employment practices.?
Experts have previously said that such collaborations can prove mutually beneficial – allowing participating organisations to develop strategic partnerships with the university, improve employer branding and attract talent more easily.
Hudson agrees that their programme is a win-win model, not only for the students involved but the organisations on both sides of the partnership.?With over 100 partner companies gaining early access to talented young people,?the scheme?provides benefits for the labour market – something that is particularly important today. And DCU benefits too, by receiving?philanthropic donations from participating employers, and also in terms of demonstrating the value of higher education.
“I think universities globally need to be engaging with industry, need to be engaging with the corporate environment and I just see this as very innovative,” Hudson said.
“There’s a question mark now over higher education and the purpose of it so I think it’s important for industry to see the benefits of programmes like this, so higher education can be supporting the labour market too.”
Across the world in South-east Asia,?Phuket Rajabhat University (PKRU) has also made student internships a priority. The Thai institution is one of just 22 ranked universities where 100 per cent of students take work placements, according to data from the Impact Rankings.
Located on the attractive island of Phuket, students gain from PKRU’s partnerships with employers in tourism and hospitality, although each faculty arranges placements aligned with their respective disciplines.
Hiran Prasarnkarn, president of PKRU, said that the university emphasises community engagement and sustainability with its placements.
“Students are placed not only in large companies but also in local enterprises, schools and cultural organisations, allowing them to gain diverse experiences while contributing to community development.”
Adapting to different organisational cultures and meeting the host’s workplace expectations can be challenging for some students. But Prasarnkarn said students are prepared well in advance, particularly when it comes to honing their soft skills, and that PKRU maintains close communication with its partners and uses regular feedback from host organisations to improve its support.
He urged other institutions to develop clear placement policies, build sustainable partnerships with industry and prepare students with both technical and soft skills.
“Above all, strong networks with host organisations are essential for preparing students to thrive in the global workplace.”
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