Purpose: This study examines how and whether expectancy for success and task values influence students' persistence in work placement learning tasks (persistence). Also, it examines the mediating role of task values in the expectancy for success and students' persistence nexus. Design/methodology/approach: This is a two-study finding. In Study 1, we conducted qualitative research using a sample of 21 undergraduate students undertaking work placement learning in seven firms in Nigeria to gain an in-depth understanding of how the two expectancy-value theory's (ETV) core motivational factors (i.e. expectancy for success and task values) enhance students' performance or achievement-related behaviour such as persistence. In Study 2, we conducted quantitative research employing structural equation modelling to test our proposed hypotheses. We used a sample of 395 undergraduates undertaking work placement learning in 189 Nigerian firms (public and private) to empirically test the hypothesized model. Findings: The findings show that students who had higher self-confidence that they would succeed in the placement learning tasks and values for the tasks exhibited higher persistence. We found that students with more expectancy for success showed higher task values for their learning tasks. Although not hypothesized, the positive result is necessary and aligns with ETV assumptions. Lastly, the analysis showed that students' higher persistence was not wholly due to their higher expectancies for success in the placement learning tasks, but rather because they showed higher values for the learning tasks. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Originality/value: Our study progressed the ETV research in the work placement learning context and offers a model of students' persistence in the context of our study. Understanding the important motivational roles of expectancy for success and task values in enhancing students' persistence is relevant in that it can facilitate quality learning outcomes. From the qualitative and quantitative (our two-study) findings, we made suggestions on how higher education administrators and industries can use our hypothesized model to further improve the work placement learning programme.