scholarly journals Challenges to providing work integrated learning to international business students at Australian universities

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 401-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catriona Gribble ◽  
Jill Blackmore ◽  
Mark Rahimi
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
International Education ◽  
International Business ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Economic Implications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Australian Universities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on a three-year Australian study of international business and accounting students and the transition to employment. For international students seeking to differentiate themselves in a highly competitive global labour market, foreign work experience is now an integral part of the overseas study “package”. Work-integrated learning (WIL) is seen to provide critical “employability” knowledge and skills, however, international students have low participation rates. The high value placed on WIL among international students poses challenges for Australia as well as opportunities. Understanding the issues surrounding international students and WIL is closely linked to Australia’s continued success in the international education sector which has broad, long-term, social and economic implications. Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws on 59 interviews with a range of stakeholders including international students, universities, government, employers and professional bodies. Central to the paper is an in-depth case study of WIL in the business and accounting discipline at one Australian university. Findings – Providing international students with access to discipline-related work experience has emerged as a critical issue for Australian universities. The study finds that enhancing the employability skills of internationals students via integrated career education, a focus on English language proficiency and “soft skills” development are central to success in WIL. Meeting the growing demand for WIL among international students requires a multipronged approach which hinges on cooperation between international students, universities, employers and government. Originality/value – This project aims to fill a critical knowledge gap by advancing theories in relation to international students and WIL. While there is a significant body of research in the fields of international education and WIL, there is an absence of research exploring the intersection between the two fields. The study will contribute to the advancement of knowledge in both fields by exploring the emerging issue of WIL and international students.

scholarly journals University-led internships for innovative thinking: a theoretical framework

2020 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-254
Author(s):  
Nadeera Ranabahu ◽  
Shamika Almeida ◽  
Elias Kyriazis
Keyword(s):  
Work Experience ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Illustrative Case ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Managing Innovation ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Illustrative Case Study

PurposeThis article explains how business internships can be used to develop innovation skills in undergraduates.Design/methodology/approachUsing work-integrated learning and current literature on innovation, this article proposes a theoretical framework to design, implement, and measure outcomes of Innovation-Focused Internships (IFIs). The article also uses an illustrative case study from an Australian university to discuss practical use of this framework.FindingsThe theoretical framework illustrates that stakeholders (i.e., students, industry, and university) need a common goal. Factors associated with managing innovation and student placements are key features of the framework. The illustrative case study demonstrates ways in which students gather both professional work experience and innovative skills.Practical implicationsThe illustrative case study outlines practical strategies and challenges in IFI programs. Managing innovation-related challenges requires adjustments from all the stakeholders.Originality/valueThis article modifies the existing stakeholder interdependency model of work-integrated learning by combining it with innovation-related literature. The novel insights from the IFI program demonstrate how factors associated with students, industry, and university, and associations between these key stakeholders shape and determine IFI success.

scholarly journals Ensuring Equitable Work-Integrated Learning Opportunities for International Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 153-161
Author(s):  
Lesley Andrew ◽  
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Position Paper ◽  
Financial Capital ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Master Of Public Health ◽  
Strength Based ◽  
Health Course ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Australian Universities

Ensuring equitable work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities for international students can be problematic. This position paper explores this challenge within the context of the Master of Public Health course (MPH) in Australian universities. The availability and accessibility of placement and nonplacement WIL for international students are examined through a desktop audit of MPH offerings across 27 public Australian universities. These findings, interpreted through the lens of cultural, social and financial capital suggest although international students stand to benefit more from WIL than their domestic peers, their opportunity to participate is lower. The paper argues a strength-based approach is needed to mitigate this issue of inequity. Suggestions are offered to improve equity in placement and nonplacement WIL for international students.

scholarly journals Integration of Work Experience and Learning for International Students: From Harmony to Inequality

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ly Thi Tran ◽  
Sri Soejatminah
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
English Language ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Vocational Education And Training ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Critical Gap ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Language Competency ◽  
Work Integrated Learning

The integration of work experience and learning in tertiary education is a complex issue for different stakeholders, including students, institutions, and employers. The provision of course-related work experience for international students is far more challenging as it involves issues of visa status, different cultural expectations, recognition/misrecognition of skills and experiences across cultures, English language competency, and local employers’ attitudes toward international students. Even though there is a significant body of scholarly research on work-integrated learning in tertiary education, empirical research on this issue related to international students remains scarce. This article responds to a critical gap in the literature by examining the provision of course-related work experience for international students from both the teachers’ and students’ perspectives. It is derived from a 4-year research project funded by the Australian Research Council that includes 155 interviews with staff and international students and fieldwork from the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector. Drawing on Bourdieu’s notions of habitus and field as conceptual tools to interpret the empirical data, the research found work-integrated learning is unevenly distributed and inconsistently implemented across institutions. The article addresses the complex interplay between the student habitus and the habitus within the institutional field and the workplace field in shaping international students’ work-integrated learning access and experience. Practical implications for institutions on how to improve access and experience to course-related work experience for international students are discussed in light of the findings of this research.

Academic's perceptions of work-integrated learning in non-vocational disciplines

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabrielle A. Lloyd ◽  
Bonnie Amelia Dean ◽  
Michelle J. Eady ◽  
Conor West ◽  
Venkata Yanamandram ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Learning ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Work Integrated Learning

PurposeWork-integrated learning (WIL) is a strategy that enhances student learning and employability by engaging students in real-world settings, applications and practices. Through WIL, tertiary education institutions forge partnerships with industry to provide students with access to activities that will contribute to their career-readiness and personal growth. The purpose of the paper is to explore academics perceptions of WIL from non-vocational disciplines, where WIL opportunities are less prevalent.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a qualitative, case-study methodology to unpack academics' reflections on the question “What does WIL mean to you?” Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 33 subject coordinators across a number of non-vocational degrees at one university in Australia. Open coding and thematic analysis was used to explore qualitative data and identify common themes.FindingsData suggest that academics largely have placement-based understandings of WIL that cause tensions for embedding WIL meaningfully in their courses. Tensions surface when WIL is perceived as a pedagogy that contributes to the neoliberal agenda that sits in conflict with theoretical approaches and that restrict notions of career.Originality/valueAlthough WIL is not relevant in all subjects, these understandings are a useful starting point to introduce WIL meaningfully, in various ways and where appropriate, in order to provide students opportunities for learning and employability development. The paper has implications for faculty, professional learning and institutional strategies concerning WIL for all students.

scholarly journals The Comparative Academic Performance of International Students in Australia

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan John Olsen ◽  
Zena Burgess ◽  
Rajeev Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
International Students ◽  
International Education ◽  
Foreign Students ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Education Professionals ◽  
The Right ◽  
Australian Universities

International students do just as well as Australian students. This is the key finding from a study of the academic performance of 338,000 full-time students at 22 Australian uni- versities in 2003. The results of the study are important to international education professionals globally at a time when there have been allegations that Australian universities were dropping stan- dards to favor foreign students. The Sydney Morning Herald claimed in June 2005 to have found evidence of quality falling at universities to cater to international students with poor English seeking degrees so as to be accepted for migration. The research proved these allegations to be untrue. Australian students passed 89.4 percent of courses attempted, international students 88.8 percent. The results suggest that in their recruitment of international students Australian universities set their standards at about the right level.

Partnership with stakeholders as innovative model of work-integrated learning for unemployed youths

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Celestin Mayombe
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Market Entry ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Transition ◽  
Global Concern ◽  
Stakeholder Partnerships ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Labour Market Entry

PurposeThe unemployment rate among disadvantaged youths (aged 15–34 years) in large parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America has become a global concern. The concern in this article is that most WIL programmes could not facilitate a smooth WIL-to-work transition. The purpose of the article is to examine the roles of partner stakeholders in the features of an innovative WIL model influencing the labour market entry of the disadvantaged youths.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was suitable for examining the features of an innovative WIL model. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from seven managers of different firms and institutions, and ten trainees to examine the roles of partner stakeholders in the features of an innovative WIL model influencing the labour market entry of disadvantaged youths.FindingsThe main findings reveal that local businesses and enterprises played important roles in participating in the design of the WIL curriculum, providing adequate mentorship for work experience and micro-placement to the trainees. Based on the findings, the author concludes that the partnership with stakeholders as an innovative WIL model contributed to the employability of disadvantaged youths through the acquisition of work experience and work-readiness.Practical implicationsThe implication of the findings is that the commitment of partner stakeholders ensures that WIL graduates continue to be employed. The commitment of partner stakeholders evident in this study is likely to continue creating better employment prospects for WIL graduates.Originality/valueThough stakeholder partnerships are common in WIL programmes and TVET, the innovativeness of this model lies in the features of WIL programmes, the roles and commitment of stakeholders including the outcomes of the partnerships.

When things go wrong: the implications for facilitators of work integrated learning placements in international destinations

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Agnew ◽  
Elizabeth Abery ◽  
Sam Schulz ◽  
Shane Pill
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Critical Incidents ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Staff Wellbeing ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

PurposeInternational work integrated learning (iWIL) placements for university students are widely promoted within universities. However, they cannot be offered and sustained without a great deal of time and effort; most commonly the responsibility of an assigned university facilitator. Preparation and support are essential for a positive student experience and iWIL outcome. However, not all experiences and outcomes are positive, or predictable.Design/methodology/approachPersonal vignettes of university iWIL facilitators are used to create a collaborative autoethnography (CAE) of experiences and outcomes where placements have been affected by unexpected or unprecedented “critical incidents” and the impact incurred on these academics. The vignettes are analyzed according to the Pitard (2016) six-step structural analysis model.FindingsAnalysis of the vignettes identifies a resulting workload cost, emotional labor and effect on staff wellbeing. Due to the responsibility and expectations of the position, these incidents placed the university iWIL facilitator in a position of vulnerability, stress, added workload and emotional labor that cannot be compared to other academic teaching roles.Practical implicationsIt is intended through the use of “real life” stories presented in the vignettes, to elicit consideration and recognition of the role of the iWIL facilitator when dealing with “the negatives” and “bring to light” management and support strategies needed.Originality/valueResearch is scant on iWIL supervisor experience and management of “critical incidents”, therefore this paper adds to the literature in an area previously overlooked.

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