Work-Integrated Learning for Enhancing Graduate Employability: Moving from the Periphery to the Centre of the Curriculum

2019 ◽  
pp. 113-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nhai Thi Nguyen ◽  
Ly Thi Tran ◽  
Truc Thi Thanh Le
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Work Integrated Learning

scholarly journals Work Integrated Learning at Tertiary Level to Enhance Graduate Employability in Bangladesh

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Faieza Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Education Quality ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Higher Education Quality ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Government ◽  
Work Integrated Learning

In the last few years, higher education institutions (HEIs) in Bangladesh have been under severe pressure to transform the way they operate. The present Government of Bangladesh requires all universities to improve their quality of education and has implemented various projects such as Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP) in collaboration with the World Bank. As Bangladesh has set a target to transition out of the status of Least Developed Country (LDC) to Developing country by 2024, graduate employability and education quality are pivotal interests for the Government of Bangladesh. This paper investigates the concept of work integrated learning (WIL) and generic skills vital to enhance the employability of the current graduates in Bangladesh. We explore different types of WIL that can be applied at higher academic institutions in Bangladesh and what are the various benefits of this type of learning to the key stakeholders, namely; students, universities and employers. Finally, we conclude by pointing out the prerequisites that need to be considered in order to successfully implement WIL in Bangladesh. This is a descriptive study and we have collected data from different secondary sources such as documents available from government agencies, research organizations, archives and library. Moreover, we have also used interviews from sources such as newspapers and magazines documenting views of well-respected academicians and personalities in Bangladesh. Our findings indicate that in order to successfully integrate WIL, there are some prerequisites such as modifying the current curriculum, designing and offering work oriented courses, building strong connections with potential employers and creating awareness about WIL among faculty members and students.

scholarly journals Discipline predicts Work Integrated Learning (WIL) practice in Science courses

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-259
Author(s):  
Susan Rowland ◽  
Daniel Blundell
Keyword(s):  
Evidence Based ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Science Courses ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Programs ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Large Research ◽  
Mathematics And Science

Australian mathematics and science students have low participation in WIL, posing implications for student employability. To better understand this problem we examined the industry-placement and coursework-incorporated WIL offered across the Faculty of Science at a large research-intensive university. The aim of the study was to provide an evidenced discussion of the types and amounts of WIL that different disciplines offer their students. A matrix was used to measure the inclusion of WIL activities in 265 courses (units of study) across all undergraduate programs in a Faculty of Science. The results, which show comparisons between disciplines, year levels, and class sizes. Indicate that a high proportion of courses incorporate WIL, but that some disciplines are significantly more likely to incorporate WIL than others. This study provides important insights into how science students in different disciplines and in different levels of their degree are prepared for the workplace. As we consider how to address graduate employability through integrating WIL in university STEM coursework, this study provides evidence-based justification to initiate reflection about pedagogy.

scholarly journals Embedding graduate employability attributes in management sciences curricula: A case of two Namibian universities

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Romanus Shivoro ◽  
Rakel Kavena Shalyefu ◽  
Ngepathimo Kadhila
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Learning Modules ◽  
Graduate Attributes ◽  
Core Curricula ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Core Module ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Program Modules

Recognising implicit employability attributes within discipline-specific program modules is a critical part of the process of developing new employability modules in the management sciences curricula. The notion of graduate employability has gained acceptance in the higher education sector across the world and furthermore higher education and industry appear to have reached consensus on the importance of enhancing graduate attributes through the curricula at university. This paper offers a qualitative analysis of curricula documents to determine strategies that are effective in enhancing graduate employability. Using content analysis to assess six bachelor degree programs in management sciences from selected universities in Namibia, the study established that, in addition to work-integrated learning modules, there is evidence of graduate employability attributes being implicitly embedded in core curricula and discipline-specific modules. The researchers argue that universities should develop a stand-alone core module specifically to cultivate employability attributes. This should be supported by multiple work-integrated learning experiences for students to practise technical or discipline specific skills and generic employability attributes.

scholarly journals Taking issue with how the Work-integrated Learning discourse ascribes a dualistic meaning to graduate employability

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ville Björck
Keyword(s):  
Cooperative Education ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Knowing That ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Informal Theory ◽  
Occupational Work ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Theory Practice Gap

AbstractWork-integrated Learning (WIL) is renowned for providing a bridge between ‘theory’ and ‘practice’ that fosters ‘employable graduates’. This study critically argues that the WIL discourse continues to ascribe a dualistic meaning to graduate employability that primarily contributes to creating the so-called theory–practice gap for students. As an argument towards such a conclusion, a genealogical discourse analysis of how the graduate employability idea operates in 87 present and past official documents concerning the Cooperative Education (Co-op) WIL model is used. Two accounts of graduate employability, the antagonistic practice acclaiming account and the harmonious theory and practice account, recur in both the present and past documents. Both accounts contribute to creating the gap, while the latter also contributes to bridging it. The non-dualistic account, which involves knowing that the key to becoming employable is understanding how both research-based and informal theory shape daily occupational work, could be a useful alternative to these accounts. This is because it could encourage students to see how theory is a form of knowledge manifested in, rather than disconnected from, this work. However, the usual WIL design, whereby universities and workplaces outside universities are respectively institutionalised as the places where ‘theory’ and ‘practice’ is learnt, is not so much instrumental in spreading this non-dualistic account, but rather implies to students that ‘theory’ is absent from daily work until they apply it. Thus, I discuss how establishing physical and/or virtual countersites to the usual WIL design could potentially spread this account to students.

scholarly journals Academic work-integrated learning (WIL): Reengaging teaching-focused academics with industry

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 172-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael B. Whelan
Keyword(s):  
University Research ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Scholarship Of Teaching ◽  
Volume Number ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Industry Practice ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Number Of Publications ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Australian Universities

There has been an increase in the number of teaching-focused academics at Australian universities over recent years. However, research-focused and teaching-research academics have an advantage over teaching-focused academics in terms of promotion, forced redundancies and tenure. While evidence of research success is measured by volume (number of publications and research income), evidence of teaching scholarship is less quantifiable. The value of industry-university collaboration has been reported widely. However, the focus is on the value of the knowledge transfer of university research to industry and collaborative industry-university research. Academics collaborating with industry partners on research projects are able to experience current industry practice firsthand, raising the question: How do teaching-focused academics remain engaged with industry? The benefits of work-integrated learning (WIL) to hosts, students and universities are well documented. This paper poses the question: Is a WIL placement a way to reengage teaching-focused academics with industry?, and introduces the concept of ‘Academic WIL’ where academics complete an internship placement with an industry partner. The impact on graduate employability is discussed and a methodology for a teaching-focused academic to use their Academic WIL experience as evidence of their achievements in the scholarship of teaching is presented.

scholarly journals An institutional framework to guide the comparison of work-integrated learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-100
Author(s):  
Mollie Dollinger ◽  
Jason Brown
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Field Trips ◽  
Institutional Framework ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Related Research ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Australian Universities

Work-based placements, site visits, field trips and embedded industry-informed curriculum are employability strategies frequently applied by universities, and clustered under the umbrella term – work-integrated learning (WIL). Referring to each of these strategies as WIL can complicate comparisons (e.g. long-term placements vs. field trips) and can lead WIL related research to diverge in multiple directions. To support comparison and help guide institutional decision-making relating to WIL, the positioning of this article aligns with a recent stream of literature that attempts to outline, contrast and differentiate between various activities aimed at enhancing graduate employability. Four distinct WIL case studies from three Australian universities are described in this article: (a) students working in teams with industry partners (n=23), (b) students co-creating learning resources (n=7), (c) a student-staff partnership (n=2), and (d) students acting as peer-learning advisors (n=5). The cases were considered across five key factors: 1) ease of implementation, 2) barriers, 3) scalability, 4) authenticity, and 5) proximity. Using empirical data, the findings within the article contribute an institutional framework that highlights the benefits and drawbacks associated with differences across WIL types, intended to support good WIL practice among administrators, teachers and staff.

scholarly journals Uncovering WIL practices to enable WIL's expansion in higher education

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 54-68
Author(s):  
Lynnaire Sheridan ◽  
◽  
Oriana Price ◽  
Lynn Sheridan ◽  
Melinda Plumb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Australian Government ◽  
Theory Of Practice ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Professional Degrees ◽  
Study Offer

The Australian Government is financially incentivising work integrated learning (WIL) to enhance graduate employability. As such, universities are currently expanding WIL pedagogies and practices from their traditional domain of professional degrees, to be incorporate into almost all university degrees. Using Kemmis’ Theory of Practice Architecture, this study investigated the practices of established WIL practitioners in universities and uncovers what can be referred to as a WIL ecology of practice. This ecology comprises of key WIL practices, including: networking and selling, negotiating, collaborating and innovating and legitimising. The findings from this study offer important insights into how higher education institutions may develop a WIL ecology of practice, and critically, achieve WIL funding objectives, which has arguably become ever more important given the challenges COVID-19 has presented to university operational budgets.

scholarly journals Work-Integrated Learning: The new professional apprenticeship

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-73
Author(s):  
Kate Ashman ◽  
◽  
Francine Rochford ◽  
Brett Slade ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
University Education ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
University System ◽  
University Policy ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Innovative Program ◽  
Modern Context ◽  
Apprenticeship Model ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Radical Approach

This article considers the intersection between two major themes in university policy: the improvement of participation by rural and regional communities and the dimension of graduate employability. It argues that work-integrated learning has the potential to address both themes, but that the development of an apprenticeship model for prestige degrees such as law may deliver additional benefits to rural and regional student engagement. It considers a radical approach to employability by the reintroduction of the apprenticeship approach in disciplines of law and accounting specifically to assist scaffolding of learning for rural and regional students. It considers the modern context of university education and the implications of an expanded university system for delivering employability skills. The expansion of university education has not delivered consistent improvements in participation among rural and regional populations, and it is hypothesised that the visible integration of work-integrated learning has the capacity to address this deficit. However, it is argued that these measures should be supplemented by an innovative program of modern apprenticeships in prestige degrees; such a program could address both participation and employability outcomes. The article contributes to the literature by making explicit the links between the visibility of prestige occupational pathways to rural and regional students, the affective concerns of potential students making the choice to undertake higher education, and the scaffolding of skills and knowledge. It recommends further research in the form of a pilot integration of an apprenticeship model within a university program, but notes the current funding, discipline, and systemic barriers to this process in the current university system in Australia.

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