By Student Job Search Chief Executive Louise Saviker.
I've had lots of conversations recently about students, employment and what New Zealand needs from its future workforce. And the one thing that keeps coming through is that the student experience has changed.
We used to think about education and employment as a sequence, first you study, then you work. Increasingly, students are earning and learning at the same time.
The latest Ministry of Education research shows an interesting pattern, students combining study with lower levels of paid work have some of the highest course completion rates, even higher than students who aren't working. As work intensity rises, however, completion generally falls.
For most students, income from work helps make study possible. But it also builds the practical experience, confidence, skills and connections that employers now demand and value.
That makes student employment part of the workforce and productivity conversation, not just the student conversation.
New Zealand invests significantly in tertiary education. Connecting that education more closely with employment is one way we can help translate that investment into skilled, work-ready people who can contribute to businesses, communities and the economy.
And there is a balance to get right. Too much work can compete with full-time study. But the right work, at the right level, can provide income, experience and a stronger pathway into employment.
To the thousands of employers already working with SJS to employ students, thank you. You're meeting a workforce need today while helping develop the workforce New Zealand will need tomorrow.
As we think about skills, productivity and economic growth, 'earn and learn' should increasingly be part of how we think about the pathway from education into employment. Because study and work aren't necessarily two separate stages anymore, they're part of the same journey.