From College to Career

Students come to college with expectations that their experiences will help them secure a career after graduation (Eagan et al., 2016; Stolzenberg et al., 2020). Institutions offer work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences, which directly connect students' coursework to future careers (Cooper et al., 2010). Extant literature provides an abundance of evidence supporting a positive relationship between WIL and student success, including employment outcomes (i.e., Bist et al., 2020; Coker et al., 2017; Huber, 2010; Jackson & Bridgstock, 2021; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Wyonch, 2020). While the overarching literature supports the relationship between WIL and employment outcomes, some studies have emphasized the possible equity effects WIL activities can provide to traditionally underserved populations such as first-generation students and those who identify as underrepresented racial minorities (URM) (Finley & McNair, 2013; Wyonch, 2020). Using the quasi-experimental approach of inverse probability weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) in the current study, I examined the presence of a relationship between WIL and employment outcomes at a large public research institution in the southeastern United States (n = 5,417). In addition to an overall relationship, I examine possible moderating effects of first-generation or URM status on the relationship between WIL and employment outcomes. The findings of this study show a significant negative relationship between participating in WIL and securing a job offer as well as a significant interaction between WIL and URM status. As WIL activities are widely offered at postsecondary institutions across the United States, the results of this study hold both practical and policy implications for students, faculty and staff, institutions, and funding agencies.