Purpose: This study seeks to show whether workplace experience (WE) in an apprenticeship programme affects the duration of joblessness amongst recent university graduates and to determine the antecedents that support a workplace well-being experience during an apprenticeship programme. Additionally, the research introduces the moderating effect of gender in order better to understand under what circumstances apprenticeship reduces the time taken to find employment. Design/methodology/approach: The research proposes PLS equation modelling constructed with a sample of 129 students from the Business Administration and Management degree at Mondragon University. Findings: The research finds that social support and job demand are key features of work that should be addressed to ensure a workplace well-being experience in an apprenticeship programme. In addition, a workplace well-being experience during apprenticeship reduced the time taken by students to access their first job. This means that job training in a company helps students get their first job, but it is not the primary factor. The study also shows that men who had workplace well-being experience in an apprenticeship programme take less time to find their first job. Originality/value: The study proposes an exclusive analysis of apprenticeship programmes in higher education systems from the perspective of workplace well-being experience, based on the DCS model. This research also adds to the literature on apprenticeship by providing evidence that a positive experience of work during an apprenticeship programme facilitates undergraduate students in securing employment. Furthermore, this paper confirms that workplace well-being experiences in apprenticeship programmes constitute a valid tool for tackling youth unemployment, and finds that it is more efficient amongst males than females. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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