Exploring university students’ reasons for not working while studying: Implications for Employability

The purpose of this paper is to examine the behaviours and perceptions of university students who do not work part-time while studying. A structured, online questionnaire was issued to Business Management students at a UK university. A total of 123 responses were received, of which 64 indicated that they were not working while studying. While non-working students were mindful of the importance of work to developing employability skills, greater importance was attached to their degree studies. Most work to date has focused on the motivations and behaviours of university students who undertake work while studying. Little work has been carried out on university students who do not work during their degree studies. Not working part-time will have employability implications for graduates, employers and universities, all of which are discussed in this paper.