Loading...
Please wait, while we are loading the content...
Similar Documents
Community engagement and study-to-work transitions : Recommendations from Asia-born New Zealand-educated business graduates
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Copyright Year | 2010 |
| Abstract | Asia-born New Zealand-educated business students and graduates involved in our ongoing longitudinal study identified community engagement as a key factor facilitating successful study to work transitions in New Zealand and elsewhere. Graduates noted the strategic value of social engagement for developing contacts that may know of work opportunities and/or provide positive recommendations to prospective employers. They also highlighted the value of work-related community engagement (for example, volunteer, temporary and part-time work opportunities) for providing experience, social connection, and employment-related links. Some graduates in the study had as yet been unable to gain employment. These emphasised the protective function of community engagement in facilitating a sense of wellbeing; and providing a chance to 'prove oneself', learn new skills, and gain experience. Conversely, other graduates identified a lack of community engagement as limiting their work prospects and resulting in a sense of isolation or despair. In this paper we use 'community engagement' as a framework for outlining results from phase two of the study (conducted during 2009-2010). After reviewing some academic literature on community engagement and higher education, we describe the study to date, and discuss how community engagement (or a lack of community engagement) emerged in graduates' accounts of their study to work pathways. To conclude, we outline graduates' suggestions as to how immigration policy, higher education institutions, and business schools might more effectively foster students' community engagement both pre and post-graduation, thereby facilitating their successful study to work transitions. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://isana.proceedings.com.au/docs/2010/paper_mcgrath.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
