A new survey of university applicants challenges the assumption that many young people first take on significant part-time employment only on entering university. The survey of 500 young university applicants attending open days at the University of Warwick reveals that in fact 60% of them already have part-time employment and come with a clear expectation that the university they choose must be able to offer a professional service to provide them with new part-time employment opportunities to replace those they may have to give up on moving to attend university.

The survey was conducted by QUAD research (www.quad.research.co.uk), a research service specializing in the attitudes of student and youth populations. QUAD's survey of the students attending the University of Warwick's open days also showed:

• The 60% of those surveyed who stated that they already had a part-time job were in significant part-time roles.
  Average hours were 7-10 a week (A fifth of those surveyed already worked 16 hours a week) and average weekly pay was £40.05
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• The figure already in part-time employment (60%) hardly differed from the percentage of all potential students surveyed who said they intended to work part-time while at University (66%)
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• The potential students had very clear expectations that the university they apply to should offer a professional employment agency service to find them additional or replacement part-time work - 54% expected to find part-time employment through a university job agency. The next most popular choice to source part-time jobs from being local newspaper advertising (20%)
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• 17% were also intending to continue working during the vacations for their previous employer at home and a further 2.8% hoped to continue working for their home employer during term time
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QUAD research Director Susan Goodlad said "When we asked why they would choose to undertake part-time work while at university a few gave career and skills building reasons but the vast majority saw it as a clear answer to a monetary need - 54.2% it was to subsidize every day living and 41.2% to provide additional funds to allow purchases and activities beyond basic living costs."

Note for Editors: QUAD is able to access national student populations to provide independent research services in the education sector and the youth market for a range of clients including universities, students' unions, government departments and government funded agencies, schools, colleges, voluntary bodies and a variety of commercial organizations.

For further information please contact:

Susan Goodlad 07739 713487
www.quadresearch.co.uk

Peter Dunn, Press and Media Relations Manager,
University of Warwick,
Tel: 024 76 523708 or 07767 655860 p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk

16th August 2005
PR60 PJD