KEY POINTS:
A business student has been turned down for work experience by 15 companies, and she and her comrades believe this is the credit crunch getting in the way of their careers.
Isabella Lascelles, who is completing a double-major in management and advertising at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), cannot find a placement for the compulsory nine-week internship programme called "co-operative education".
Miss Lascelles is not the only one struggling to find an employer.
A group she created on online networking site Facebook has attracted 63 members and students are expressing the same concerns.
The 21-year-old describes herself as outgoing and bright. She never expected she would find it such a struggle to find work experience.
"It's a bit soul-destroying," she said.
If Miss Lascelles does not secure a placement within the next few weeks she will be forced to return to university for an extra semester next year.
The "co-op" runs six intakes for nine weeks and she must start hers in the first semester so she can complete the two papers she needs to wrap up her degree by the end of the year.
Miss Lascelles said there were also problems with the way AUT promoted the programme to employers - she has not had a brochure on co-op to present to her prospective employers.
And there was little support for students despite them paying $2000 for it, she said.
One member of the Facebook group said she was forced to complete her co-op overseas because it was a requirement of an international business qualification and had no help from AUT at all.
Professor Des Graydon, dean of AUT's faculty of business, confirmed the university was concerned students would bear the brunt of the credit crunch via the co-op. "The job market is a tough market. The opportunities are more limited," he said.
Lecturers had changed their material to suit the economic climate. Global business studies papers would focus largely on the credit crunch this year.
Last year 675 students completed their co-op, 200 did so overseas, and the university would make sure all 800 students found work experience this year as well - though some might have to accept unpaid jobs, he said.
Dave Geurin, executive director of Institutes and Polytechnics of New Zealand, said his organisation had not yet experienced the same issues but it was something to look out for.
Alasdair Thompson, chief executive of the the Employers and Manufacturers Association Northern, said there was no doubt that many firms were retrenching.
"In that environment it's always going to be harder to get positions."
