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The CorrelationBetween IndustrialPlacements and FinalDegree Results:

A Study of Engineering Placement Students

Richard Mendez

University of LeicesterSeptember 2008

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The correlation between industrialplacements and final degree results: Astudy of Engineering Placement Students

Richard Mendez

University of Leicester

Abstract

The significance of industrial work placements (i.e. the work-based componentof sandwich degrees) on

students’

professional development and employability iswidely accepted amongst work-related learning professionals and academicsalike. Indeed, the recent government sponsored report by the Confederation of British Industry validates such claims. However in recent times, many work-related learning professionals have begun to explore the assumption that workplacements not only improve employability skills, but additionally academicperformance.This paper considers the view held amongst many work-related learningprofessionals that students undertaking an industrial work placement, oftengraduate with a higher degree classification. Additionally, it scrutinises theassumption that placement students outperform their non-placementcounterparts scholastically.This paper builds upon results from more comprehensive longitudinal researchfrom Mandilaras (2004) and Gomez et al (2004). Through an institutional studyof engineering undergraduates at the University of Leicester, it explores whetherstudents that undertook an industrial work placement as part of theirengineering degree, outperformed their non-placement counterparts. Thestatistical analysis offers evidence that suggests a causal link betweencompleting a placement and achieving higher academic performance in the finalyear of an engineering degree.

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Introduction

The presence of work-related learning and employability themes within highereducation has grown in prominence with the advent of successive government-backed reports. The most recent being

‘Future Fit: Preparing Gr

aduates for the

World of Work’,

produced by the Confederation of British Industry HigherEducation Task Force (2009) and sponsored by the Department for Innovation,Universities and Skills (DIUS). Reports such as these have encouraged thedevelopment of work-related learning activity (e.g. industrial placements) inhigher education as a means by which to develop student

s’ employability and

transferable skills.In light of such interest, the correlation between industrial placements and

students’ employability has been comprehensively explored by practitioner

s suchas Bowes & Harvey (1999) and Little & Harvey (2006) amongst others. Howeverthere remains a dearth of current literature and research exploring thecorrelation between placements and final degree attainment.Amongst the germane literature, research by Mayo & Jones (1985) and theCouncil for National Academic Awards (Davies, 2003) substantiate claims of correlation. Additionally the Confe

deration of British Industry’s Higher Education

Task Force (2009) reports on the analysis of research from the University of Hertfordshire that concluded with similar findings.However it is the works of Mandilaras

’

(2004) and Gomez et al (2004) thatexplore this area in greater depth.

Using data from the University of Surrey’s

Economics Department, Mandilaras rigorously explores whether the industrialplacement augments academic performance (i.e. increasing the likelihood of theplacement student obtaining an upper second or higher degree class). Similarly,Gomez et al investigate the impact of the industrial placement on Bioscienceundergraduates at the University of the West of England, Bristol.