The trend toward pre-graduation professional work experience for Australian young planners: essential experience or essentially exploitation

Deanna Grant-Smith; Paula McDonald

doi:10.1080/07293682.2015.1103762

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The trend toward pre-graduation professional work experience for Australian young planners: essential experience or essentially exploitation

Journal article

Peer reviewed

The trend toward pre-graduation professional work experience for Australian young planners: essential experience or essentially exploitation

Deanna Grant-Smith and Paula McDonald

Australian Planner, Vol.53(2), pp.65-72

2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07293682.2015.1103762

Abstract

education-to-employment transitions

internships

practicum

unpaid work

work experience

young planners

This paper explores the changing employment expectations that frame the early professional work experiences of young planners in Australia. In particular, it considers the rising popularity of pre-graduation professional work experience as a precursor to formal entry into the workforce as a practising planner. This shift is being driven in part by employer expectations that graduates will already have 'real world' and relevant work experience. However, an equally significant driver appears to be a growing desire for early career and graduate planners to find ways to distinguish themselves from their peers in an increasingly tight labour market. Using data from an ongoing research project into the formative work experiences of young people this paper describes the three main types of pre-graduation professional work experience undertaken by young planners. It highlights the potential challenges and benefits of pre-graduation work experience from a legal, social and ethical perspective as well as from the perspective of young planners themselves. The paper concludes by reflecting on the role of the planning profession - employers, peak bodies and planning educators - in managing the tensions between producing 'work ready' graduates and safeguarding the employment conditions of early career planning professionals.

Details

Title: The trend toward pre-graduation professional work experience for Australian young planners: essential experience or essentially exploitation
Authors: Deanna Grant-Smith (Corresponding Author) - Queensland University of Technology
Paula McDonald - Queensland University of Technology
Publication details: Australian Planner, Vol.53(2), pp.65-72
Publisher: Routledge
Date published: 2016
DOI: 10.1080/07293682.2015.1103762
ISSN: 2150-6841
Grants: Young people and work: pathways to industrial citizenship, FT120100635, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Organisation Unit: School of Business and Creative Industries
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991016468602621
Output Type: Journal article