Efforts to improve graduates’ employability, including volunteering, study abroad leadership programs and work placements can unwittingly discriminate against poorer and disadvantaged students, according to a leading expert.

La Trobe University’s Andrew Harvey says government policies intended to make universities more accountable for graduate outcomes can perversely have a negative impact on low socio-economic students who can’t afford to take time away from paid employment to undertake internships or work placements or to do other extracurricular activities such as study abroad.