Accountancy students could be among the hundreds of thousands of young people estimated to be taking part in unpaid work experience this summer.
The UK's businesses will be given a total of 6.8 million hours of fee labour, worth over £260 million, new research has found.
According to the Abbey Student Bank Accounts study, 56 per cent of students feel the need to boost their resume by gaining experience of employment.
"This research shows the vital contribution students make to the UK economy, even before they have graduated," explained head of Abbey current accounts Gillian Almond.
She added graduates are now expected to demonstrate skills gained outside the education system.
However, the expert warned those taking part in such activities not to neglect their finances in the interim.
According to the study, more than one in five (21 per cent) will find the work experience has a big impact on their bank balance, with 53 per cent stating it would have a slight effect.
It was recently suggested by the TUC that the UK could become a world leader in green technologies - creating a whole new industry in which graduates could compete for work.
