What is good about employing students?
Students can provide employers with a great source of fresh energy and talent in the workplace. Young and vibrant, they often have new ideas to offer.
There are many advantages employers gain by employing students. Students are often keen and eager to learn.
Students are a growing and increasingly important source of labour in Australia - Since 1983 the number students who work part-time has increased from 28% to 79% of all 15 - 19 year olds who were also studying full-time according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2004). This is important at a time when unemployment in Australia (below 5% in 2007) has led to a tightening of the labour market.
Part-time or seasonal student workers can help businesses with extended trading hours or fluctuating demands - As the service economy demands extended trading hours, many businesses are finding that students are a valuable source of labour for weekends and evenings (e.g. hospitality). Other seasonal businesses utilise students during peak summer periods (e.g. tourism).
Students may be a new source of supervisory staff or future middle managers - Again, in an era of labour shortages, students may fill important supervisory roles, even if on a part-time or casual basis. Some companies have instituted part-time traineeships for students to meet these immediate demands and to develop talent for the future. Organisations which employ large numbers of young and part-time employees have found success in hiring younger managers because they can relate more directly with their younger charges. In some instances, turnover has decreased and productivity has increased as a result.
Young student workers can help create a new fresh culture - Incorporating young people within your workforce can help develop a new fresh culture. Those companies that have done it successfully say that the impact is so positive that they advise adding student workers (high school, TAFE and university) to as many shifts as possible to spread the positive effect and decrease the likelihood of two cultures - a full-time day and a part-time evening -emerging.
Source: Patton, W and Smith, E, "A serendipitous synchronisation of interests: Employers and student working. Retrieved 16 January 2008 from http://www.avetra.org.au/publications/24-Smith.pdf.