Employer engagement

About

This section describes some research studies into career interventions designed to increase exposure to either the workplace or professionals within it, which offer learning opportunities or the chances for using evidence and ideas in approaches

In doing so, we have noted the potential contribution that the study could make to practice. 

Research can evaluate interventions at different levels of granularity when assessing effectiveness: either a) within the context of a wider system or process, b) as a "black box" - to be compared with other "black boxes", c) or looking at the various design decisions within the intervention to examine their implications for the client. All likely merit consideration when evaluating practices.

As well as publications showing effective tactics for this type of career intervention, we have included several resources form other media, including talks, interviews and case studies. These may not be “academically” rigorous, but can provoke reflection and understanding of further perspectives.

Key learning highlights

Some of the key points that offer indicators on the state of research in this area include the following:

• Two-thirds of teachers and secondary school students in England agreed that short work experience placements helped in career decision-making and navigation (Mann and Davies, 2014)

• There is also a mature body of research that has investigated and demonstrated significant links between school-mediated employer engagement and the employment outcomes of young people, as per the review by Musset and Kurekova (2018) for the OECD. 

• Kashefpakdel and Percy (2016) analysed the British Cohort Study (1970) longitudinal dataset, designed to survey approximately 17 000 babies born in Great Britain, and use data from 1986 and 1996. After controlling for various variables like socio-economic background, the study found that at age 14-15 participation in each career talk is associated with an earning premium, at age 26, of 0.8% (rising to 1.6% where the teenager reported their career talks to have been ‘very helpful’).

• UK students have historically reported that education does not prepare them well for working life. However, students who experienced work-related learning feel better prepared (Mann et al 2017).

• HIstorical evidence pointed to the potential for work experience programmes to exacerbate socio-economic inequalities, however, with employers preferring students from schools associated with higher socio-economic statuses of their students (Hatcher, R., & Le Gallais, 2008, Mann et al 2017)

• Employers can also experience barriers to participation, with a potential tension between objectives for HR and corporation social responsibility (Sims, 2017).

• Extracurricular activities are also highly valued amongst higher education students as ways to develop their career. (Jackson and Bridgstock, 2022)