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Employability and work placements

Preparing students for the labour market

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Els van der Werf

Hanzehogeschool Groningen/Hanze University Groningen,

University of Applied Sciences

International Relations Manager

Member of the Dutch team of Bologna Experts


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Employability of undergraduates (Bachelors):

a key element of the Bologna Process

“The degree awarded after the first cycle shall also be

relevant to the European labour market as an appropriate

level of qualification.”

For universities which traditionally offered ‘undivided’

Master degrees: a dilemma

For Universities of Applied Sciences: core business


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Dutch higher education

Characterized by a binary system Co-existence of 14 research universities

(213,000 students)

3-year Bachelor programmes and 41 universities of applied sciences

(374,000 students)

4-year Bachelor programmes


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Universities of Applied Sciences

professional profile of Bachelor programmes

= clearly related to particular jobs/careers curriculum focuses on professional development main emphasis on undergraduate education growing number of Master programmes emphasis on applied research


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Professional focus in Bachelor programmes

emphasis on practical application of knowledge

throughout the curriculum

(project work; problem-based learning) participation in applied research key element: mandatory work placement of

at least 6 months (30 ECTS credits)


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Research universities

Bachelor programmes are Master oriented Bachelor is not seen as exit qualification professional profile is often not explicit

(e.g. humanities) there are also programmes which are highly

profession-oriented (e.g. dentistry, medical studies) increasing interest among students to do a work

placement (e.g. humanities)


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Mandatory work placements: an organisational challenge!

Example: Hanze University Groningen, UAS

24,000 students – every year roughly 5,000 students on work placement most of them in the Netherlands ca. 900 abroad

Issues of finding companies/organisations matching students with placements preparation and supervison of students quality assurance (placement assignment, assessment)


Different types of placements

orientation placement – allows students to get a taste of the professional environment in which they will be working short (weeks, rather than months) work shadowing, small assignments

profile placement – train the competences related to the professional field a few months, usually a semester semi-independent work, under supervision

final year placement – like profile placement a semester to one academic year high degree of independece complex assignment, resulting in thesis


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Involvement of companies/organisations

part of a certain culture with regard to the collaboration of HE and the world of work

HE and employers have a mutual interest HE and employers are prepared to invest joint placement code of biggest employers’ organisation

(VNO/NCW), SME body (MKB NL), and Association of Universities of Applied Sciences: agreement on cooperation through work placements as part of knowledge circulation


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Finding work placements

HEs have to invest in this part of the curriculum organising and supervising work placements costs as

much as teaching one or more placement coordinators per degree

programme various organisational models

students find their own placement placement coordinators actively recruit and assign students to a

placement role of commercial agencies


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Quality assurance and preparation

is the company/organisation suitable (not too small)? has an appropriate supervisor been assigned by the

company/organisation? is it clear what the student is expected to do: set of

tasks, assignment, etc.? no companies managed by immediate family member tripartite placement contract has to be signed university has collective third-party liability insurance for

all students on placement


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Requirements on student before going

Example: formally completed year 1 completed a minimum of 40 ECTS credits of year 2

of which all foreign language components Personal Development module 38 other credits

formal approval of placement by placement coordinator


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Preparing and supervising the student

physical absence of student does not mean less responsibility for learning process!

make clear what you expect of the student and what the student can expect from you (institution/supervisor)

supervision by institution should be more than a formality supervision includes regular contact (telephone, email,

skype, etc.) and preferably a visit to the student and company supervisor

average no. of hours per student for supervision: 15 hrs.


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Monitoring and assessing the work placement

Example:

at the end of the first month initial placement report from student + first month placement evaluation by company supervisor

at the end of three months intermediate placement report from student

at the end of the placement final placement evaluation by company supervisor

within 1 month of completion of placement final placement report


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Employability of UAS Bachelors

Based on research by Netherlands Ass. of UAS over 2008 Target group: graduates 2006/2007 - 18 months after graduation

85% have a job at the ‘right’ level (Bachelor) 83% have a job in the professional field for which they were

trained 79% indicate that the contents of the study programme

were in line with the current work 79% indicate they would choose the same degree programme


Employability of UAS Bachelors

Based on research by Netherlands Ass. of UAS over 2008 Target group: graduates 2006/2007 - 18 months after graduation

Unemployed 3,5%

Gross income per hour € 14,70

Gross income per month € 2180

Tenure 66%

Good career opportunities 48%


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Tentative conclusions

Programmes that give a good basis for entering the labour market

1. Have a strong professional orientation- work placements contribute to general development of professional expertise, but do not add new competences- good basis for labour market entry esp. in mass specialist positions

2. Have a strong familiarity with employers - is achieved through collaboration in the field of work placements- has no effect on competence level of student


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Tentative conclusions (cont.)

3. Are highly demanding- positive effect on development of competences - not necessarily leads to strong position on labour market

4. Have strong academic prestige - produce better graduates with stronger competences

- also have a signal function for employers (see 2)- not obtainable for large numbers of students

See also: Chapter 1 of the “Reflex” report


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Dicussion questions

Intensive collaboration between higher education and the world of work is a prerequisite for the realisation of work placements. Are European higher education institutions equipped to maintain such contacts?

In the case of integrated work placements, the higher education institution transfers part of the assessment of the student’s progress to the receiving company/organisation. Under what conditions is this acceptable?

There is a danger that students on work placement are used as cheap labour; there is unfair competition with those who are seeking employment. How can this be avoided?

Should higher education institutions focus on the transfer of knowledge and leave the preparation for the world of work to the (first) employers?
