Making Student Jobs Fairer

Tuesday 24th January 2012

Connections in finding student jobs are an important part of your job hunt strategy. Still, the 'who you know' culture has been criticised as it favours wealthy people who have developed useful contacts through their friends and family.

Recently 100 firms, including some of the largest companies in the UK have agreed to the new social mobility rules. This means that student jobs and work experience will be provided more transparently in the public domain rather than being based on informal contracts. Financial support will be available so that people from poorer backgrounds have the same opportunities as their counterparts. Also, careers advice will be given by representatives who will speak to young people about the various options available.

Some people think it may be hard to make companies pay wages, and so assistance with expenses or accommodation is more likely. Also, they would argue that this scheme has taken too long to be introduced, since many graduates have undertaken work experience placements with little or no remuneration and this has still not resulted in obtaining a full-time job. Nevertheless, any help with narrowing the gap and providing better access to work experience should be seen as a significant development.

A stronger opinion that emerges in this debate includes the idea of young people being exploited by companies when they work for free, since some are really eager and passionate about gaining experience regardless of the circumstances. Companies realise this and will naturally try to save money by not paying interns. Perhaps the notion of exploitation is too strong, but companies are certainly being opportunistic at the moment, and so changes in the current system will be a step in the right direction.

Some graduates hold the opposite view, saying they are happy to do unpaid work experience. This is due to gaining different transferable skills that make it easier to move from university to the reality of the working world. Although everyone needs money, the more important aspect of work experience is discovering whether you will enjoy doing the work in the long-run. Every year some people get full-time offers as a result of doing internships, while for others the work experience has shown that it may not be the right career for them.

Overall, the government's plans are moving towards fairer work experience but there is still some way to go. Ensuring work experience is obtained through the proper channels, such as application forms and interviews will make it more of a level playing field. Also, financial assistance will benefit some people and improve access to the professions. Still remember, you need to work hard at university and obtain a good degree, since that will give you a solid basis for any future career.

Arnab Datta