Towards a model for assessing the role of marketing students and graduates in SMEs: facts, fiction and future

For both SME Managers and students, having clearly identifiable mutual gains is critical to ensuring equal engagement and reciprocity. But we might ask who really has the most to gain? Is it the SME business, whereby they benefit from “fresh-talent”, ideas and marketing activities finally having the attention they require? Is it the inexperienced marketing professional, who may either be looking to start an extended career with the firm, see the role as a vital steppingstone, pay back their student debts, or simply test knowledge gained in studies practically? Is it the course provider in enhancing their exit-employability statistics, which in turn may motivate more students to apply to their course? Or a blend of these? It is anticipated this research will provide valuable insights for SMEs in employing marketing students; for students themselves in assessing their employability and marketing educators for developing SME inclusive curricula. Could this lead to the development of a model for matching SME role needs with marketing students