Recognising the value of non-professional part-time work in assessing graduate employability: A challenge to employers

Deanna Grant-Smith; Tanya Weiler

doi:10.1177/09504222231208435

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Recognising the value of non-professional part-time work in assessing graduate employability: A challenge to employers

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Recognising the value of non-professional part-time work in assessing graduate employability: A challenge to employers

Deanna Grant-Smith and Tanya Weiler

Industry and Higher Education, Vol.38(4), pp.325-335

2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/09504222231208435

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Abstract

graduate employability

graduate careers

part-time work

professional work experience

student worker

unpaid work experience

Enhancing graduate employability is an increasing focus within higher education, however, although part-time work is a majority experience for students the skills gained through non-professional employment are often treated as having limited value in constructions of graduate employability. This paper engages in dialogue with a series of viewpoint and research articles in this journal advocating the accreditation of this work by higher education institutions to increase its influence in graduate recruitment. Specifically, these articles challenge students to improve their employability by reflecting on and documenting their part-time work experiences in support of this accreditation approach. In doing so, it is assumed employers will value this work experience and that such accreditation will improve graduates’ employment prospects. In response, reflecting on a study of Australian business students (N = 92), this paper highlights tensions associated with students’ part-time work and the perceived employability-enhancing value of what is typically characterised by employers as non-relevant, and therefore non-valuable, work experience. The paper concludes by suggesting that shifting the challenge for recognising the value of non-professional work experience away from students and universities and toward industry and employers is more likely to yield improved graduate employment results for students transitioning from education to graduate employment.

Details

Title: Recognising the value of non-professional part-time work in assessing graduate employability: A challenge to employers
Authors: Deanna Grant-Smith (Corresponding Author) - Queensland University of Technology
Tanya Weiler - University of South Australia
Publication details: Industry and Higher Education, Vol.38(4), pp.325-335
Publisher: Sage Publications Ltd.
Date published: 2024
DOI: 10.1177/09504222231208435
ISSN: 2043-6858; 0950-4222
Copyright note: © The Author(s) 2023. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
Organisation Unit: School of Business and Creative Industries
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991016469602621
Output Type: Journal article

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