Can students be 'nudged' to develop their employability? Using behavioural change methods to encourage uptake of industrial placements

An important aspect of preparing students for the workplace is the need for students to take ownership of their employability and to engage in opportunities which can help them improve and articulate it in advance of embarking on their careers after graduating. Industrial placements, alongside other employability-enhancing opportunities, play an important role in this. Nonetheless, in recent years there has been a decline in the number of students opting to undertake a year in industry. Positioned within the debate surrounding undergraduate employability, this paper will explore nudge theory, and its criticisms, in the context of an intervention implemented by staff at Brighton Business School (BBS), University of Brighton designed to promote students’ ownership of their employability to increase the uptake of industrial placements. It also identifies some soft outcomes, notably the breaking down of some typical behavioural barriers to placements and encouraging students to think reflectively. It will conclude by offering recommendations for replicable practice in other universities; specifically a model for developing nudges not only in relation to employability but within higher education more broadly.