Anthi Chondrogianniam: Search for Work during Students’ Higher Education Journey

Event details

Author:  Anthi Chondrogianni (Bristol)

Abstract: Despite the increase in the number of international students in UK higher education, we know little about the employability choices they make during their undergraduate journey. To address this gap, we analyse survey data from 1,282 first-year students at the University of Bristol, collected over a four-year period from 2020 to 2024. We find that the UK domicile and male students are significantly less likely to secure work experience in their first year of studies – only 52% and 66% as likely as their non-UK and female counterparts, respectively. Importantly, we show that non-UK domicile students and those with stronger academic performance are more likely to apply for work opportunities. This points to self-selection as a key driver of observed differences in experience acquisition. Our data collection uniquely coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing the likelihood of students getting experience temporarily decreased during that year. Unlike existing work on placement years, we are the first to explore independent work experience during students’ first year of studies, shedding light on early employability differences by gender and domicile. Our findings highlight the need for more tailored institutional support to address disparities in engagement across student groups.

Co-author: Dr Ahmed J. Pirzada, School of Economics, University of Bristol.

Host: Yaprak Tavman (York)

Cluster: TELE