Work Permit query

She has been offered for a work permit by her employer to work as a Banqueting events co-ordinator but the position is not in a short list of job, which means the employer has to give advertisements in job centre, news paper and internet.
1) What are her chances of getting the visa, if she has been working with the same employer partime during studies and full time in vaction and 2 yrs on workplacement, can this be a strong reason to ask for a work permit where the company can prove that she has been employed since 2004 on part-time and full-time basis.
2) Can a student drop her course in between and apply for a work permit, do you have to have strong reason to do so.

Thanks