Paid time-off to study could increase the likelihood of graduates remaining with their employer with 80% of part-time students in the same company two years after graduating, reveals a longitudinal study published today by the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU).
The Futuretrack: Impact of Part-time Learning Two Years After Graduation1 research was carried out on behalf of HECSU by Birkbeck, University of London and the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. It surveyed students when they were in their final year of study and two years later to examine the impact of part-time courses on employment.
Employees who were less likely to change employer, worked full time when studying, were supported and sought careers advice from their employer. Employers also benefited from having staff that felt better qualified and able to do their job, had a deeper understanding of their work and were more confident. Roughly eight out of ten graduates felt their course had a direct impact or was helpful in each of these measures.
Around half of respondents who had stayed with their employer reported that the course had enabled them to do more interesting work, get more job satisfaction, and improved pay and promotion prospects. In addition, four out of five students viewed their job as related to long-term career plans
Overall, graduates reported other benefits from part-time study; they cited that it had helped them develop as a person (88%), improve self confidence (78%) and increase their overall happiness (55%).
Jane Artess, director of research at HECSU, commissioned the report. She said: “Part-time study clearly benefits both the employer and employee as well as wider society. There is evidence that students quickly employ what they have learnt very effectively in the workplace.
“Employers who support staff are set to gain the most, only a fifth of employees changed jobs since graduation and, contrary to existing literature, the study revealed that employer financial support for part-time education dampens mobility - improving the chance of retaining talented employees who are better engaged and equipped to do their job.”
The report’s co-author Claire Callender, Professor of Higher Education Policy at Birkbeck, University of London, said: “Our research clearly shows the value of part-time study – how it improves skills, leads to higher salaries, and boosts social mobility. As a result of their studies, 83 per cent of students surveyed felt better qualified to do their jobs and 63 per cent had taken on more responsibilities at work. One-third of all UK undergraduates study part-time, so this is not a marginal issue.”
The report’s co-author David Wilkinson, Principal Research Fellow at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, added: “Our report is one of only a few longitudinal studies of part-time undergraduate students in the UK, and its findings are very encouraging. Two years after finishing their courses, former students were positive about their experiences of part-time study: 69 per cent said their time spent studying was a good investment.”
