Summer jobs key to career, students told

STUDENTS need to work during holidays to avoid being trapped in a ‘cycle’ of unpaid internships as graduates, the head of the universities watchdog warns.

Office for Students chief Nicola Dandridge said gaining work experience while studying is key to securing a rewarding career. One in five university leavers is still not in graduate employment six months after they finish their degrees, official figures show. Many are forced to work unpaid after they graduate to secure their preferred jobs.

Speaking yesterday at the National Graduate Recruitment Conference, Mrs Dandridge called on universities and employers to improve student access to work placements and internships.

She said: ‘It cannot be right that so many students – especially those in courses with little vocational element and those without the right networks – have no access to good work placements and/or holiday internships while they are studying. This means they are more likely to face a cycle of internships, too often unpaid, after they graduate.’