Barriers to work placement in the retail sector in the South East
- Summary
- Introduction
- Methodology
- What is work experience?
- Work experience: supply and demand
- Attitudes to work experience
- Resources and organisation
- Image of retail
- Employment culture in retail
- Recommendations and conclusions
Summary
Qualitative research into the issues experienced by stakeholders in the process of work experience in the retail sector in the South East found that a number of barriers exist, writes Charlie Ball of the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU). Many of them relate, directly or indirectly, to the way the industry communicates within itself or externally with other organisations, such as students and universities. Others relate to the process of providing work experience within institutions and employers. The resource cost of work experience programmes is another serious restriction.
Introduction
In the autumn of 2006, the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU) and the National Council for Work Experience (NCWE) were commissioned by the Sector Skills Council for the retail industry, Skillsmart, and by the Regional Development Agency for the South East, SEEDA, to conduct research into the issues presenting barriers to the delivery and uptake of retail work experience to college and university students in the region.
Methodology
The project was based on a series of qualitative interviews. The shortest interviews lasted approximately 20 minutes and the longest for one hour, with the mean being approximately 45 minutes. Interview scripts were designed for each of three components in the sample (employers, institutional staff and students) presented in order to allow the interviewees to speak freely on the questions posed to them. In total, 18 interviews with retail employers, ten interviews with higher education (HE) staff and six interviews with further education (FE) staff were conducted and summarised. Seven students were also interviewed; these students were studying courses in either an FE or HE institution but all were on courses at HE level.
Although the samples were small, the detail of the questionnaires produced a wealth of highly qualitative information - no attempt was made to analyse data in a quantitative way.
What is work experience?
The process of work experience and placement is complex, involving interactions between student, institution and employer at a variety of levels. In the course of the research, we found disagreement about what work experience meant and what it entailed. The research concentrates on the participants’ own conception of work placement and did not apply a formal definition. This diversity of experience is both a strength and a weakness. The range of provision means that many different requirements can be accommodated. We have also found that language and expectations are not always shared by all parties and this can represent a significant barrier for those accessing and providing work experience.
Work experience: supply and demand
The demand for retail work experience is high, and some employers are overwhelmed with requests. This leads to extra work for both employer and institution, and can act as a disincentive. On the other hand, some institutions are experiencing a fall in interest in work experience amongst students. This is attributed to the importance term-time working has acquired as a means of support for students facing increased fees and living costs, and is exacerbated by many employers in the sector not paying work experience students.
Location plays a big role in the provision of work experience. Institutions in less heavily-populated parts of the South East, or areas with a number of competing institutions, often found it particularly difficult to provide enough good quality placements for their students. This also led to increased demand on those employers who did have placement opportunities.
Many retail employers offering work experience perceived a range of benefits, from increased engagement with their community to advantages in recruitment when students seek to enter the labour market. Employers also use work experience to assess potential employees as well as a way to recruit during busy periods. Of those employers interviewed, the only ones who did not offer retail work experience had discontinued programmes because of historic problems with provision.
Attitudes to work experience
The large majority of stakeholders professed enthusiasm for the idea of work placement. Many industry interviewees spoke warmly of the enthusiasm, commitment and work ethic of the students, particularly undergraduates and of the fresh skills and perspectives they brought to the business as a result,
We do work placements because students are very positive, eager, enthusiastic and willing to learn and gain experience.
(employer interviewee)
A significant minority also saw it as beneficial to company image and community engagement,
The company likes to do its bit for the community and feel the satisfaction of corporate responsibility.
(employer interviewee)
Institutions are often very positive about work experience, citing increased employability for their students, benefits to student development, improved institutional image and engagement with employers, as benefits of taking part.
Students learn what it means to have a dress code, and they learn self-reliance….they learn about being in the frame of mind to do a day's work.
(FE college tutor)
Students tended to see work experience as a way to increase employability skills and to make sense of their career options. However, although all the students who were interviewed in this sample were committed to the take up of work experience, some students simply did not see work placement in retail as relevant, as their ambitions lay in other industries – and did not see the relevant experience that they could gain from undertaking work experience in the retail sector.
In addition, as one tutor said,
We have to remember that students are very young people
(FE college tutor)
And with that in mind, many students lack the self-confidence to be comfortable with approaching employers to ask for work experience. Some institutions had provision in place to alleviate this issue, but others felt this was a necessary part of the student journey towards self-reliance. All agreed that for less confident students, this represents a serious barrier.
Only one industry interviewee was overtly against student work experience placements in general, believing them a waste of resources. But some employers appear to underestimate the skills, work ethic and enthusiasm of the students they could attract and see placements in terms of issues rather than opportunities.
Some universities felt work placement was unnecessary, or even a distraction for students from their primary purpose of learning. Some academics did not see it as their role to improve student employability.
Academic buy-in is not great. Employability is what happens to students when they leave.
(university interviewee)
Some found themselves obliged to organise placements, but lacked the time, experience or motivation to attend to the job properly and so provided a half-hearted or demoralised service. This aspect is challenging because it raises issues about the role and purpose of institutions, particularly where the provision of work experience is not an established part of the culture. Some of the institutions to which this issue applies most heavily are already taking steps to change.
Resources and organisation
Interviewees identified a number of requirements that they felt needed to be in place in order for a work experience placement to be successful. They felt it was important that employer and student should be properly prepared for work experience and, although views differed, it appears that a centralised work placement system, with clear guidelines and experienced staff, was associated with successful work experience.
This does have clear resource implications and many employers opt to administer work experience locally, at individual branches. Many employers delegated the provision of work experience to the discretion of individual store managers, giving rise to a lack of consistency across the employer’s organisation and the sector as a whole. Institutions frequently complained that an organisation might offer placements in one town, but not in another, that they could not identify appropriate contacts and that when they did, they then could not keep them because of staff turnover, and also that situations arose where a change of manager locally meant a change in work experience policy.
All stakeholders, employer, student and institution, should be aware of the expectations placed on them at the outset. This places a burden on the employer in particular, who needs to have a work experience role awaiting a student at an appropriate time in relation to the curriculum, and incorporating a development and learning component for the student. Many employers were able to do this, but it is a significant demand on resources and planning capacity. Health and safety issues, particularly for students in FE, also emerged as a significant issue. This also requires the employer, institution and student to use a common language to deal with issues such as supervision.
[A successful work placement needs]….a proper induction, and proper supervision throughout the placement - although a formal mentor is not necessary.
(university interviewee)
Those institutions that considered their placements less successful often had a work experience system that was organised by individual course tutors in addition to their academic and teaching duties. This sometimes meant that the job of work placement tutor was given to the most junior member of staff in the department, and was seen as a burden to be willingly set aside when a new tutor joined the group. Some departments, as a result of such practices, were felt not to promote the benefits of work experience effectively or even to undermine it.
Many institution interviewees mentioned retail engagement with institutions as a barrier to work experience. One issue that was mentioned by a number of interviewees was a perceived reluctance of retail employers to come on to campus to promote their opportunities, to speak with students and to speak with institution staff. Institution interviewees were sympathetic to employers who felt that institution visits were a drain on resources but noted that other non-retail employers seemed to find more time than some retailers.
If they don’t engage, it is very hard for careers service staff to sell the benefits of employers, as they’re not sufficiently familiar with them. It’s a huge waste of resource and potential.
(HE interviewee)
On the other hand, a small number of employers seemed to feel that institutions could do more to engage with employers. Some interviewees felt that institutions did not always seem keen to deal with the retail sector and several mentioned advertising with institutions but receiving a disappointing response.
The issue of remuneration is also a serious one as student debt is a pressing concern; many institutions and students felt it was vital that work experience should be properly rewarded. This is likely to represent an additional cost for employers and a particular problem for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Image of retail
The retail sector is extremely good at marketing its products, and very poor at marketing itself.
(HE interviewee)
Almost all the interviewees felt that retail had an “image problem”. Retailing is associated with a lack of glamour, poor pay, long hours and a lack of career prospects. This was felt to represent a considerable barrier to recruitment as many young people were perceived to be reluctant to enter the industry when other options might be available.
However, some employer interviewees pointed out that the sector may not be as bad as is initially perceived.
There are certain myths surrounding retail that need to be put to bed. The pay is not good, for example. People don’t realise that they can work their way up in a short space of time. A store manager can earn £30-40k plus a car plus a bonus.
(employer interviewee)
There was a strong view that the retail industry did not always communicate well about itself with those outside it and as a result, prospective students and those who advise them, were often unaware of the opportunities in the sector. Whilst some industry interviewees spoke of this, many others did not mention issues of communication or marketing when questioned. A minority felt that their employer did not need to do any more marketing as they were oversubscribed for work experience requests and had no issues recruiting.
Although the industry in general was reported to suffer from a poor image, many interviewees noted that certain employers or subsections of the retail industry had fewer such problems. Fashion retailers in particular were perceived to suffer few of the negative perceptions of other parts of the sector, and were often seen as being glamorous.
Half my humanities students want to be fashion buyers!
(HE interviewee)
Many retail employers were aware of the way that their industry was perceived, but tempered that view with an appreciation of the diversity of the sector. Interviewees were keen to stress that retail can be an exciting and fast-moving environment.
They say in retail ‘you will never be rich, but you can make a good living’, and that is true. Entry level is not the full story, there is lots to do when you get there.
(employer interviewee)
However, there was no clear consensus about the way to market the industry. Some employers felt that, although the industry needs to do more to promote itself, this might not necessarily be at university or college level.
It [retail] needs to be marketed more. Students are not aware of what retail involves. They need to aim at a younger market and advise careers advisers for schools so they make the right choices at A-level or degree level.
(employer interviewee)
Employment culture in retail
Many interviewees, from all stakeholders, commented that the retail sector does not seem to have a culture of graduate employment. For industry interviewees, this meant that some did not fully appreciate the potential benefits of student participation or did not see the need for it. Some did not see why a graduate would want to work in the sector.
Institutional interviewees felt that some retail employers underestimated student ability and also underestimated how competitive the recruitment market could be for work experience and for recruitment.
Staff turnover was also an issue. This led to retail having an image of offering uncertain job stability. It also meant a lack of stability for those engaging with employers on work experience. One FE interviewee spoke about one student who had worked for four different supervisors in the course of a 14-month work placement, and many institution interviewees spoke of difficulty in forming and maintaining professional relationships with work experience staff.
Staff turnover can also make it difficult for employers to effectively plan work placements as an unexpected change in trade can make it hard to devote resources, or mean that a student might find little to do. The heavily seasonal nature of some areas of the industry means that the most convenient times for industry to offer work experience are not always the best times for students or institutions.
Recommendations and conclusions
The recommendations from the project drew together the wide ranging data generated by the interviews with employers, students, and institutional contacts. In the course of the research, the following conclusions and recommendations came out of the interviews.
Recommendations made by the retail industry
- The need for a co-ordinated marketing exercise for the industry in general, explaining the benefits of work experience in the retail sector, such as the range of opportunities available, the dynamic and fast-paced nature of much of the work and dispelling some of the myths about the industry.
- Centralised support for the organisation and management of work experience with databases of case studies for reference and best practice information as guidelines. This would also include contact lists for institutions.
- Better communication with institutions (from school to university) with the institutions being proactive about what they have to offer the employers in terms of students’ knowledge and skills.
Institutional recommendations
- Institutions report that there is a need for the retail industry to market itself as an employer more effectively.
- Better communication between employers and institutions is sought. Suggestions for useful activities included employer presentations, and employers becoming involved in skills training and course consultations.
- Two institution interviewees suggested that retail employers could survey their current part-time staff to see who were studying, and talk to them about their experiences and aspirations to get an insight into student employment needs.
- A number of interviewees mentioned campus brand managers as being effective marketing tools.
Student recommendations
- The retail sector could market employment opportunities more effectively. In particular, it could use role models and case studies to illustrate the range of jobs that young people can do within the industry, and to show that retail can be an exciting and fulfilling career.
- Students also felt that retail could do more to allay student fears about low pay and poor conditions. Unpaid, or low paid work experience was felt to be a significant barrier to placements for students.
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