Based on a nationally representative sample of 25,950 Australian students, this paper investigates participation in off-campus paid work.

During the 1990s, this phenomenon became an increasingly interesting and significant narrative in Australian higher education, with implications for institutions, industries, individuals and the economy as a whole. In 2011, as this briefing shows, undertaking off-campus paid work is an intrinsic and rewarding part of undergraduate life.

Key findings include:

• 66 per cent of first-year students and 73 per cent of later-year students participate in off-campus paid work – figures relatively stable over the last four years.
• Most first years work between 6 and 20 hours, while later years tend to work between 11 and 15 hours.
• Participation in work is higher for those that do not receive government of university financial support, and for students living with parents, or from metropolitan or from higher socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Modest participation in paid work (between 1 and 10 hours) tends to improve academic engagement and performance, a host of more general skills, and graduate transitions into employment.
• Paid work links with increased dropout intentions if it is not countered with effective institutional recognition and support.
• Universities need to find sustainable ways of capturing the skills students develop through off-campus paid work – students report that most paid work has nothing or very little link with their studies.

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