IARP decided early in 2013 to offer free membership to any student. Since that time, the number of student members has surged to over 230. Considering that students now represent a significant percentage of the membership, a survey was distributed to all student members in an effort to better understand and serve this population.
The survey included eight questions. Forty two individuals completed the survey, which represented 19 percent of the student membership at the time the survey was distributed.
· The first question asked if the member was currently enrolled in a degree program. Eighty three percent indicated that they were.
· The second asked the member the month and year they expected to graduate. Forty one people responded to this question. The majority, 20, will graduate in 2014. Fifteen will graduate this year, 3 in 2015, One in 2016, and 1 in 2017. Eleven individuals graduated in 2012. As will be addressed in later questions, these recent graduates are likely now either new professionals in the field or are looking for work in the field.
· The third asked what degree they are currently pursuing. As anticipated, the majority (at least 69 percent) are pursuing a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling.
· The fourth question asked if they are currently looking for employment in the field. Fifty seven percent indicated that they were.
· Question five asked what rehabilitation sector they would prefer to work in after graduation. Somewhat surprisingly, the vast majority (71 percent) indicated that they would prefer to work in the private sector (insurance, workers’ compensation, self employed, etc.). These results indicate that the majority of students have their eye on the private sector as an ultimate destination.
· Seventy six percent of respondents indicated that they intend to continue their IARP membership after graduation on question six.
· The final two questions sought the opinion of the student member on the benefits of IARP membership for a student and what additional services IARP could offer a student member.
There was a wide variety of responses to the topic of the benefits. Several themes emerged, included mentoring, networking, professional journals, conferences, and continuing education (CEU’s). Several students indicated that reading the Connect discussion group posts in the various sections provides insight into the actual practice of vocational rehabilitation versus “theory and research” provided in the academic world.
One respondent indicated that reviewing the website allows for “the ability to see the career paths that IARP members have taken.” The current vision of IARP is to provide services and support to members of the private vocational rehabilitation community from school to retirement.
Several new student members were not aware of the benefits of being an IARP member.
Many students seem to be looking for more information about private sector vocational rehabilitation. As one student put it, IARP should provide “more information about entering the private sector upon graduation.” Another was interested in “presentations about the private rehab industry as most (all?) programs focus on public only.”
Other suggestions included mentoring, internship information and opportunities, career opportunity information, scholarships to conferences, preparation and study materials for credentials, student support group, student listserv, and many others.
One student eloquently indicated “offering free membership is great, but you now have to make space for us in the organization.” Students have been taking more active roles in the organization in the recent past including presenting at conferences and participation on chapter boards, and hopefully this is only the tip of the iceberg for student involvement in IARP.
The task now is to synthesize the results of the survey and continue to work on enhancing the student experience in IARP. After all, students are the future of the profession and should be involved in IARP.