PASEO Research: Employment Conditions of Part III Students 2021-2025
The PASEO project led by Alastair Blyth provides the first empirical evidence base on employment conditions, well-being, and workplace culture in UK architectural practice.
The Project on Architectural Student Employment Outcomes (PASEO), led by Alastair Blyth, represents a landmark effort to establish an empirical evidence base for employment practices in architecture.
Background and Purpose
For years, Part III tutors heard anecdotally of poor employment conditions: unpaid overtime, lack of written contracts, insufficient study leave, and in some cases harassment and bullying. The PASEO survey, conducted annually from 2021 to 2025 with approximately 450 students per cohort, was designed to determine whether these anecdotes reflect systemic problems.
Analytical Framework
The PASEO framework draws on the OECD Job Quality Framework, distinguishing between:
- Job demands: Time pressure, hours of work, psychological risk
- Job resources: Mentor support, decision-making latitude, employer support
- Well-being outcomes: Work-life balance, life satisfaction, freedom from overwhelm
Headline Findings 2021-2025
Hours of Work: Average contracted hours: 38-39 hrs/week. Average actual hours: 42-48 hrs/week (peaking at 48 in 2023-24). In all years, 62-66% of students worked more than contracted hours — suggesting widespread non-compliance with the spirit of the RIBA Code's employer obligations.
Salary: Average gross salary rose from £31,574 (2021-22) to £34,000 (2024-25), representing modest real-terms growth during significant inflation.
Psychological Risk: Bullying rates: 26% (2021-22), 26% (2022-23), 32% (2023-24), 10% (2024-25). Discrimination rates: 48% (2021-22), 32% (2022-23), 27% (2023-24), 9% (2024-25). The 2024-25 improvements warrant careful interpretation.
Mentor Support: 66-81% have an assigned mentor; only 55-78% report meaningful engagement. Monthly meetings occur for only 26-36% of students.
Study Leave: Improved from 69% receiving some leave (2021-22) to 80% (2024-25).
Well-being: 51-58% report poor work-life balance; 38-56% feel overwhelmed.
Key Structural Correlations
- Moderate correlation: Earnings and post-Part 2 experience; earnings and practice size
- Significant weak correlation: Ethnicity and salary (ethnic minority respondents earn less)
- Significant weak correlation: Feeling overwhelmed and work-life balance; overwhelm and being asked to work late
Research Collaboration
PASEO is a University of Westminster initiative led by Alastair Blyth who is collaborating with Wendy Colvin (University of West of England) and Ian Shepherd (Birmingham City University)to broaden the reach of this type of survey.