Environmental Impact Reduction Micro-Placements: An Opportunity to Overcome Business Management Students’ Reluctance to Undertake a Long-Term Work Experience Placement Whilst Stimulating Environmental Improvements in Businesses?

Work placements are generally accepted as a valuable route into work experience, which provides personal, professional, and academic benefits to the placement student and resource benefits to the placement employer. These placements have traditionally been with larger organizations for 12 months; often termed ‘a year in industry’. However, this year in industry is now becoming less attractive for students and a challenge for employers. In response, a student-led consultancy programme of micro-placements designed around environmental impact improvements within SMEs was established for business management students. This paper presents the pilot micro-placement project and explores the benefits and challenges it gave the placement student and placement employer. This paper will be of interest to educators and placement coordinators seeking to develop innovative work experience opportunities in Higher Education.