Inequity in Work Placement Year opportunities and graduate employment outcomes: a data analytics approach

Completion of work placements by undergraduate students is recognised as positively influencing graduate employment outcomes. However, it is less clear whether all students can access placements equitably. We analysed an extensive institutional data set, spanning six years, involving 26,506 undergraduate students to explore the extent to which particular student groups take up a Work Placement Year and how engagement (or not) impacts Graduate Prospects (employment outcomes). Specifically, we focused on student characteristics for which some evidence exists for differential outcomes in Higher Education (gender, ethnicity, age, disability and socioeconomic status). Our data shows that participation rates in a Work Placement Year are unequal amongst student groups, with statistically significant differences evident amongst males and females (uptake higher in females), young and mature (uptake higher in the young) and by disability status (uptake higher amongst the non-disabled). Whilst participation in a Work Placement Year associated with improved (statistically significant) Graduate Prospects for all cohorts, there continues to be a gap in Graduate Prospects between certain categories of students. This is most notably apparent between females and males, with a statistically significant difference in favour of men. Our work highlights the need to understand barriers experienced by specific student cohorts and consider how to provide targeted support in accessing work placement opportunities. Our work also suggests broader structural inequalities and a gender divide may impact on graduate prospects for certain student groups and these need to be examined so that effective strategies can be implemented to reduce inequities post-graduation.