New Charter sets the standards for Good Student Employers

A new Charter between the University of Lincoln, Destination Lincolnshire and the Institute of Hospitality has been launched to help champion best practices among employers who regularly recruit students.

The Good Student Employer Charter aims to enhance the culture of student employment by empowering students and businesses to build more positive and mutually beneficial relationships while equipping businesses with the tools they need to create fair, balanced and more inclusive work environments for young part-time employees.

Launched in Lincolnshire by Dr Agnieszka Rydzik, Associate Professor in Tourism and Work at the University of Lincoln and Sam Coulstock FIH, IoH Head of Professional Development, with representatives from hospitality, tourism, events, leisure and retail businesses in Lincolnshire in attendance, the scheme is underpinned by research on the experiences of students working on zero-hour contracts in the hospitality sector.

Research suggests that more than half of UK students now work part-time jobs to supplement their income while studying at university with many taking on roles in hospitality, leisure, events, tourism or retail businesses.

Dr Rydzik said: “Our research shows some students had very positive experiences of working in hospitality, developed very good relations with their employers and stayed several years in one workplace. However, there were many students who found it difficult to combine work and study. These were often their first-ever jobs, and they struggled with communicating with their employers and understanding expectations.

“We launched the Good Student Employer Charter to help address some key challenges and foster better relationships between employers and student-workers so that students can better manage work and employers can have more committed workers. The aim is to create a network of student-friendly businesses and bring closer collaboration between universities, student unions, students, employers and the industry” said Dr Rydzik.

The Charter is free for employers to join. After completing an online training programme, signatories of the Charter will be granted access to a range of resources and promotional materials to display in their workplace, as well as digitally on websites and on social media.

Institute of Hospitality CEO Robert Richardson FIH MI commented: “The Institute of Hospitality is proud to support the Good Student Employer Charter in partnership with the University of Lincoln and Destination Lincolnshire. It provides a real opportunity to help make the hospitality sector a fairer place for everyone, offering all the resources needed to assist workers, businesses, and hospitality organisations review and assess work practices and their impact on student-workers.”

Charlotte Goy, CEO at Destination Lincolnshire, said: “For Lincolnshire businesses wishing to get involved in the Good Student Employer Charter, there are countless benefits. Businesses will be able to access a student workforce through the University of Lincoln and other places that offer higher education, developing a two-way working relationship with a younger workforce. Not only to satisfy both employer and employee, but to bring new talent into local businesses and the wider visitor economy.

“Generating billions of pounds for Lincolnshire and supporting thousands of businesses countywide, the importance of the visitor economy cannot and should not be underestimated. It’s a top priority for us to ensure the next generation is actively ready to move into the industry to pursue rewarding careers” she concluded.

The Good Student Employer Charter centres around the 8F Framework which outlines eight principles in student employment. The framework is based on findings from the research which identified the key challenges students on zero-hour contracts face. Including the need for employers to bring in fairer forms of flexibility and practices to reduce income unpredictability.

More information on the Charter