Guiding students to the labour market

Case study

Ricardo is in the fourth year of Electrical Engineering. He is working on his graduation research. During a previous internship, as an internship supervisor, I noticed that he ran into a number of issues in work situations. He has ASD (autism spectrum disorder) and finds working in a group difficult. Ricardo then keeps a low profile, even though he often has very creative ideas. He can also sometimes be blunt when things don’t go his way. Being around people all day takes a lot of energy. Now that he is about to graduate and start looking for work, I have a conversation with him about this. What does this mean for his orientation on the job market?

What does guiding students+ to the labour market mean?

The HU trains students for sustainable, meaningful employability on the labour market and in society. The employment rate of students+ (students with disabilities) lags significantly behind (ScienceGuide). The transition to the labour market, moving on to a job at a level appropriate to the student’s talents, is often less easy for them than for other students.

The group of students+ is large. In higher education, 30 per cent of these students report having a (job) disability. In addition, 10 per cent of all these students also experience obstacles due to this disability.

Employers and students+

Employers like to hear what a student has to offer. What are the talents, what excites the student? A + is not a bad thing, provided the student can deal with it. This means that the student knows what has proven effective in the past, what he/she can organise him/herself, and where help from employers is desired.
It happens that students+ are not sufficiently aware of their need for counselling, coaching and/or other facilities. In education, they are offered this as a matter of course; this is not the case as employees.

Employers, because of the cost, are apprehensive about the risk of long-term dropout. Does that risk exist? In that case, it may help the student+ to be included in the target group register. The application for this must be made during the study. This makes it a relevant issue during studies. In introductory talks between employer and student+, it helps if the student is prepared to be able to have ‘the right conversation’ about this topic.

DO!

Help the student+ have ‘the right conversation’

As a counsellor, you can support a student+ by discussing this personal issue. Note these tips:

Every student is different, and always more than the +. Don’t fill in anything, but ask open-ended questions.
Most students have been through some unpleasant experiences before coming to HU, and have not felt understood. Be alert to that.
Language use and framing is important. Focus on what someone needs and not on the source/cause of this need. This is a prerequisite for achieving ‘the right conversation’. It is important to speak (neutrally) of students/employees with a support need.
Many students are searching and also struggle with (considerable) uncertainty about what they have to offer. Help students gain insight into their own qualities, what the pitfalls of those qualities are, and where in the work field these qualities can be put to use.
Discuss with the student how his/her choice of subjects, minor, internship, graduation topic and extracurricular activities can increase chances on the labour market.
Proactively help students with the dilemma: do I tell or don’t I tell? And if I tell: when and how?
Look with students at the work context/manner of working in the company/organisation (e.g. are there only open-plan offices?).
Are facilities needed/not needed from an employer for internship/work? How to arrange that?
Is the student included/not included in the target group register?
In which municipality is the student registered and what support does that municipality offer, e.g. job coaching or workplace adjustments?

Follow-up case study

With Ricardo, I looked at how he envisions the future and what kind of company he would like to work in. We also discussed what he finds difficult in work situations and where his ‘energy leakage’ is. We mapped out what he needs to function well. What preconditions must be present in a company and what does Ricardo expect from a manager? He found it difficult to articulate what he has to offer a company. Nevertheless, we drew up a list of the things he is good at. Now Ricardo sees that – despite or thanks to his disability – he has some unique skills and feels like applying for a job.

Study choices