Tochukwu Ben C. Onyido, Zoe Allman, Pamela A. Hardaker, D. Rughani, Allan Letinov
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The study combined the use of students' reflections (via tools such as monthly logbooks) with interviews and questionnaire surveys of both employers and students, in order to evaluate the outcomes of the placements.FindingsStudents engaged with the sustainability aspect of their placements mainly by obtaining information on the sustainability performance of SMEs, with significant engagement also occurring in the areas of sustainability advocacy (e.g. proposing socio-environmental plans to companies) and initiatives/action.Practical implicationsPlacements can potentially serve as a means of knowledge generation for universities while providing SMEs with cost-effective staff and innovation sustainability resources.Originality/valueA circular approach to university placement programmes is proposed whereby the knowledge gained from previous placements about SMEs' sustainability performance is used to prepare later cohorts of placement students with a pragmatic understanding of challenges and opportunities related to the implementation of sustainability by SMEs.","PeriodicalId":47994,"journal":{"name":"Education and Training","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2000,"publicationDate":"2022-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Embedding sustainability in university work experience placements: a De Montfort University model\",\"authors\":\"Tochukwu Ben C. Onyido, Zoe Allman, Pamela A. Hardaker, D. Rughani, Allan Letinov\",\"doi\":\"10.1108/et-09-2021-0356\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"PurposeThe paper looks at the feasibility of university placements supporting small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) to operate in a sustainable manner. Due to size and resource constraints, many SMEs may regard sustainability more as a burden than a value-adding commercial strategy.Design/methodology/approachA two-year study was conducted on the sustainability-themed placements of 101 students of De Montfort University, United Kingdom, in SMEs. The placements were designed with the purpose of acting as a traditional work experience scheme while also equipping students with learning, skills and orientation with which to act as sustainability champions within companies. The study combined the use of students' reflections (via tools such as monthly logbooks) with interviews and questionnaire surveys of both employers and students, in order to evaluate the outcomes of the placements.FindingsStudents engaged with the sustainability aspect of their placements mainly by obtaining information on the sustainability performance of SMEs, with significant engagement also occurring in the areas of sustainability advocacy (e.g. proposing socio-environmental plans to companies) and initiatives/action.Practical implicationsPlacements can potentially serve as a means of knowledge generation for universities while providing SMEs with cost-effective staff and innovation sustainability resources.Originality/valueA circular approach to university placement programmes is proposed whereby the knowledge gained from previous placements about SMEs' sustainability performance is used to prepare later cohorts of placement students with a pragmatic understanding of challenges and opportunities related to the implementation of sustainability by SMEs.\",\"PeriodicalId\":47994,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Education and Training\",\"volume\":null,\"pages\":null},\"PeriodicalIF\":3.2000,\"publicationDate\":\"2022-10-24\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Education and Training\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"91\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.1108/et-09-2021-0356\",\"RegionNum\":3,\"RegionCategory\":\"管理学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q1\",\"JCRName\":\"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Education and Training","FirstCategoryId":"91","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1108/et-09-2021-0356","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH","Score":null,"Total":0}
Embedding sustainability in university work experience placements: a De Montfort University model
PurposeThe paper looks at the feasibility of university placements supporting small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) to operate in a sustainable manner. Due to size and resource constraints, many SMEs may regard sustainability more as a burden than a value-adding commercial strategy.Design/methodology/approachA two-year study was conducted on the sustainability-themed placements of 101 students of De Montfort University, United Kingdom, in SMEs. The placements were designed with the purpose of acting as a traditional work experience scheme while also equipping students with learning, skills and orientation with which to act as sustainability champions within companies. The study combined the use of students' reflections (via tools such as monthly logbooks) with interviews and questionnaire surveys of both employers and students, in order to evaluate the outcomes of the placements.FindingsStudents engaged with the sustainability aspect of their placements mainly by obtaining information on the sustainability performance of SMEs, with significant engagement also occurring in the areas of sustainability advocacy (e.g. proposing socio-environmental plans to companies) and initiatives/action.Practical implicationsPlacements can potentially serve as a means of knowledge generation for universities while providing SMEs with cost-effective staff and innovation sustainability resources.Originality/valueA circular approach to university placement programmes is proposed whereby the knowledge gained from previous placements about SMEs' sustainability performance is used to prepare later cohorts of placement students with a pragmatic understanding of challenges and opportunities related to the implementation of sustainability by SMEs.
期刊介绍:
Education + Training addresses the increasingly complex relationships between education, training and employment and the impact of these relationships on national and global labour markets. The journal gives specific consideration to young people, looking at how the transition from school/college to employment is achieved and how the nature of partnerships between the worlds of education and work continues to evolve. The journal explores vocationalism in learning and efforts to address employability within the curriculum, together with coverage of innovative themes and initiatives within vocational education and training. The journal is read by policy makers, educators and academics working in a wide range of fields including education, learning and skills development, enterprise and entrepreneurship education and training, induction and career development. Coverage: Managing the transition from school/college to work New initiatives in post 16 vocational education and training Education-Business partnerships and collaboration Links between education and industry The graduate labour market Work experience and placements The recruitment, induction and development of school leavers and graduates Young person employability and career development E learning in further and higher education Research news Reviews of recent publications.