Services and opportunities for part time students
With fees and living costs rising and less government support available, part time study is becoming more and more popular. Many part time students are juggling full time jobs and/or family commitments, which make getting into university to consult an adviser or access careers resources during the day difficult or impossible. Universities, however, are keen to point out that their career planning and job prospects need not suffer as a result.
Flexible delivery
Chris Jackson, a spokesperson for AGCAS said:
'Careers services around the country want part time students to know that help is there for them. The needs of part time students and the times at which they are available vary enormously and careers services know that. As a result, they have developed suites of online and face-to-face services, which can be accessed around the clock'.
The Open University has nearly 40 years of experience of meeting the needs of part time students and, like other AGCAS member services, offers a wide range of services. Head of Careers Service, Clare Riding, said:
'Last year 15,000 students made use of our online careers forums. They can be accessed by students any time of the day or night and can provide a really useful community in which students can share experiences and issues with the security of knowing the careers adviser is there with specialist careers knowledge.
Many of our one-to-one appointments are delivered by phone, which means that someone working full-time can speak to one of our careers advisers in the evening outside work at a mutually-agreed time. Last year, the satisfaction rate from our careers interviews was around the 84% mark - all students who receive a careers interview are asked to complete a questionnaire'.
Enlightened employers
Some part time students worry that employers don't recruit part time students. Riding said:
'Enlightened employers value the commitment, time management skills and resourcefulness, as well as the knowledge and skills, of part time students. We try to get recruiters to demonstrate this by getting them involved in forums and other activities. Those who have done so to date include Civil Service Fast Stream, NHS and Logica, to name but a few'.
Jackson said:
'Careers services tell employers how short-sighted it is to recruit from just a narrow band of students. Those who recruit only from certain universities, from the youngest students or from full time courses, are missing out on a lot of talent. I think most realise that now, but we do still have some way to go and we'll keep on making the point.
But, ultimately, it's the students themselves who need to show each employer that they have all the skills and qualities required. Employers like to see evidence from all areas of the applicant's life. And that's where part time students, who often have broader experience, can score. Sometimes they just need a bit of extra assistance and direction from their careers service to get them started.
Access to services
Just a few examples of what's on offer from HE careers services:
• All careers services have websites on which most of their resources are accessible
• Many offer e-guidance (ie, guidance by email); interactive e-learning modules; online vacancy bulletins; blogs, forums, virtual careers fairs
• They can provide expertise on career progression as well as first graduate jobs
• Flexible opening hours are now the norm, often at times negotiated with individual students
• Social networking sites, such as LinkedIn or Facebook, can be good ways of accessing careers services
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Part time students - AGCAS press release July 2010
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