HEPI research suggests more universities are encouraging part-time work and that more students are undertaking paid employment to cope with the increased cost of living. Alongside this, research has documented the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on student belongingness, as decisions made from financial necessity can impact students’ connection and engagement with their University.
Research by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), presents initial findings of a cross-section of 271 students, analysing their work experiences against the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)’s ‘Good Work’ framework. Our findings revealed challenging experiences at work, that influence dimensions of student experience such as access, community, and balance between university and work life. Therefore, we consider what we can do to support students in their part-time work.
Firstly, while we recognise that student experiences of part-time work can differ, our study’s participants worked considerably more than the average of 13.5 hours per week reported in HEPI’s Student Academic Experience Survey, working an average of 18 hours a week, with 29% working more than 20 hours a week. These were characterised by jobs in low-paid sectors, unrelated to their course, such as health and social care, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing.
