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The peer-assisted study sessions program (PASS) – variously known as supplemental instruction, peer mentoring and peer-assisted learning – is regarded as a global phenomenon in academic support interventions and has well established presence in higher education. The purpose of this study was to add to the body of knowledge of how PASS may add value to the employability of the student leaders, in relation to the CareerEDGE model.

This qualitative research was based on interviews from a sample of 18 former PASS leaders who have since obtained employment.

Findings demonstrate that being a PASS leader enhanced many of their competencies as defined by CareerEDGE model, for example subject related knowledge, interpersonal skills and some generic skills. However, many of the reported competency enhancements led to unexpected future career advancement.

This study contributes to the body of knowledge relating to how PASS may add value to the employability of student leaders in relation to the CareerEDGE model using a sample of leaders who have already graduated and have obtained employment. Limitations of this study include: lack of generalisability of small geographically isolated sample; coding and analsysis not comparing findings from different demographic groups; only explores individual perceptions and relies on self-reported data.

The results of this study have implications for the development of future PASS programs and other similar academic support interventions. Given the global prevalence of such programs in higher education institutions, this research may have wide-scale transferability. Insights from this paper will allow future PASS leaders to proactively reflect and evaluate their experience and increase their confidence in pursuing their employment opportunities.

While there is much understanding on the role that PASS has in improving students grades and in improving retention rates, less is known about the value of this experience on improving student employability, and little attempt has been made in examining this within relevant employability models post-employment.

Despite the high rates of repatriate attrition, organisations in developing countries continue to send some of their employees to study in tertiary institutions in developed countries to acquire and build competencies that are deemed strategically important for contemporary work. Although several studies have been conducted on expatriate experience and challenges, those relating repatriation experiences are limited, particularly those concerning organisationally assigned scholars (employees who are sponsored to study overseas). Consequently, the present study explored the intention to stay or leave of organisationally assigned Ghanaian scholars who pursued higher degrees in Australia.

To understand the decision of organisationally assigned sponsored scholars to either stay in or leave the host-organisation upon their return, a phenomenological methodology was adopted to explore the lived experiences of organisation assigned scholars (OAS) from Ghana, studying in Australia. The face-to-face interview approach was used to interview 20 Ghanaians who pursued their further studies in Australia. The interviewees consisted of six females and 14 males.

The results reveal that for expatriate’s in this study, the decision to stay or leave the organisation upon repatriation was made mid-way through the expatriation process in the host county. Hence, organisations intending on retaining their OAS when they return home must focus their support and engagement efforts during this crucial period.

Although they are away on further studies, OAS are still active members of the organisation. Therefore, organisations need to maintain contact with them (OAS), constantly check progress of their study and provide some support, as they might motivate them to want to return and work with the organisation. Consequently, more effective strategies (those for managing them while they are away and those for managing them when they return) should be deployed to incentivise their expatriate to return home.

The study explored an important yet understudied research questions in the repatriation literature. By studying the decision of OASs to either return and stay in or leave an organisation back home contributes uniquely to the existing literature, as studies focusing on that population (i.e. OAS’s) are scarce.