Why student jobs matter for business schools

Paid work is no longer a choice but a necessity for students. This new reality, spelt out in our recent Student Working Lives report, in partnership with the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and four universities, provides a strong call to action for higher education leaders to act to support modern learners in balancing successful study outcomes alongside work. 

The report, which considers the prevalence and lived experience of students in paid work, clarifies a concerning reality for UK students, financial precarity is shaping the student experience, and unless leaders intervene, the opportunity of higher education risks being undermined by the pressures on students simply to survive. 

In the context of rising accommodation rates, transport expenses, and food inflation, maintenance support has failed to keep pace with reality for students. While the Government pledges to reintroduce targeted grants, it won’t undo years of erosion in financial support for most students. For many, the gap between income and outgoings is so wide that working long hours is the only way to stay afloat.  

Our data, taken from a sample of over 1,000 students, shows that students work an average of 17 hours per week, often in insecure, low-pay jobs albeit with high social value. Whilst student paid work is nothing new, often this was to earn money to socialise or gain experience, now paid work is for basic living costs, to support family members, and sometimes even to pay university fees.  

The implications for universities are profound. Our data found as student work more, they study less. Evidence from our report shows that attendance falls from 64% for those working 1–9 hours to 54% for those working 20+ hours. In line with this, students working under 20 hours are 20% more likely to achieve a good honours degree. If students cannot dedicate sufficient time to learning, outcomes suffer, and the value proposition of higher education is called into question. Leaders must recognise that this is not an isolated challenge but a systemic one, intensified by the cost-of-living crisis and the inadequacy of current financial support frameworks. 

So, what needs to happen? 

First, universities should advocate collectively for a recalibration of maintenance support that reflects real inflation, not forecasted figures. This is a national policy issue, but the sector’s voice matters. Secondly, flexibility must become a core principle of academic design and support. Timetables that assume students are available daily from nine to five are out of step with what is feasible for students. Furthermore, as time poverty is a central concern for students, mitigating circumstance processes should better support students and embrace a more compassionate approach to help students excel in their studies. 

Where the business school comes in: Employability, from necessity to strategic advantage 

This is where senior leaders, deans, directors, and academic heads can make the biggest impact and respond to sector challenges around progress, BCA and graduate outcomes. If students are working anyway, universities should shape that work to support learning rather than compete with it. Business schools are central to providing the right kind of support for students both within their own school and supporting the broader university in providing work-ready graduates. Business schools are arguably the most connected to business communities and employers, have the expertise to influence employers, and can exert that influence across the business community for the betterment of all students, irrespective of discipline.  

They can do this by:  

Partnering with local employers that complement academic programmes. Business schools can take the lead on creating regional partnerships with local employers and authorities to provide access to meaningful employment for students and fill regional skills gaps. Regional skills shortages often do not align with student employment. Strategic partnerships with local employers and authorities are important to improve access to relevant and high-quality work for students, support regional economic growth and boost graduate retention. 

Integrating employability frameworks into credit-bearing modules and embedding work experience into curricula. This requires recognising the skills students gain through employment and working with students to maximise and articulate their transferable skills. Students in paid employment often struggle to connect their paid work experience with their studies and long-term career planning. Institutions should embed curriculum-based interventions that support students in accessing career-relevant roles and articulating the transferable skills gained through work. 

Focusing on job quality, business schools can advocate for better quality jobs for students, and roles that offer development, not just income, reducing reliance on insecure, low-wage jobs. They have the expertise to raise awareness of employment rights so students have a clear understanding of what their rights are, and how to exert them.  

Using data-driven interventions around performance and attainment to identify students at risk and offer tailored support, whilst being compassionate towards students needs. For example, through mitigating circumstances and personal tutoring.

By reframing employability as a strategic response to financial necessity, business schools can turn a challenge into an opportunity, helping students build meaningful experience while safeguarding academic success. 

Finally, leadership visibility matters. Students need to see that their institutions understand and care about these challenges. Higher education leaders cannot afford to treat student-paid work as a peripheral issue, it is central to the student experience and is reshaping the landscape of learning. By acting now, through policy advocacy, financial support, flexible learning, and strategic employability partnerships, universities can ensure that paid work does not become a barrier to success but a managed part of a balanced academic life. The challenge is significant, but so is the opportunity to lead with purpose and protect the integrity of higher education for the next generation. 

Download the full report