Doing work experience may be an easier way for students to get a job than achieving a top class degree, a survey has shown.

Almost two-thirds of employers said they offered placements in hopes of finding permanent staff, according to research by the National Council for Work Experience (NCWE).

And 44 per cent of students said they thought bosses were looking for people with experience, compared with 24 per cent who thought the most important factor was the quality of their degree.

Only ten per cent of students thought the subject they actually studied was critical, less than the 11 per cent who cited their outside interests and achievements.

The survey arguably confirmed popular suspicions that some employers view young people on work experience as free labour. A fifth of bosses admitted to taking them on as cover during busy periods.

Almost half, 46 per cent said they offered work experience placements as a "gesture" to the local community and its student population.

Nearly three-quarters of bosses, 73 per cent, said they had taken students on permanently after they completed a stint unpaid.

NCWE director Liz Rhodes urged more companies to offer work experience.

"Employers consistently say they want graduates with good employability skills and our research confirms that they find work experience an effective recruitment method.

"But still they are not coming forward in large enough numbers to provide sufficient placements," she said.

"It's a classic chicken and egg situation. Employers want graduates to have work-based skills but are not prepared to provide the work experience opportunities for them to gain those skills."

The survey was based on responses from 127 students and graduates and 101 employers in the UK.

Wednesday August 6, 2003