Internships are widely recognized within higher education as a useful work-based learning (WBL) approach to enhance student employability. However, there remains a need to understand whether internships provide a developmental experience that includes higher-level (soft) skills such as self-responsibility, flexibility and innovation. Our study…

Work integrated learning (WIL) encompasses educational experiences that merge academic knowledge and practical application in a professional setting, benefiting both students and the existing workforce. The objective of incorporating WIL into education is to foster the integration of theoretical understanding by engaging students in a combination…

Work-integrated learning (WIL) plays a crucial role in introducing students to work environments to enhance employability skills and career readiness. These opportunities are made possible through university-workplace partnerships. Despite the numerous benefits associated with such partnerships, effective initiation and management of partnerships…

This study explores perceived skill outcomes among graduates of 39 Australian higher education institutions in the short- to medium-term after course completion. While acknowledging important dimensions of graduate employability beyond the skills-based approach, we investigated graduate perspectives on their industry-relevant skill outcomes from…

Purpose: This study aimed to realign the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) curriculum at an Australian university with communication industry standards and student career goals. It proposes practical suggestions for a third-year communications studies WIL course that will effectively prepare students for professional success by integrating insights…

This paper studies the main determinants of salaries for economics students in their year-long industrial placements. Using three different sources of data on three cohorts of economics placement students, including demographic characteristics, academic performance, programme of studies and employability-related characteristics, we find that…

This study aims to reduce the skills redundancy in ecology graduates by developing an employer-tailored work-"simulated" learning curriculum. Furthermore, we evaluate the overall potential of work-simulated learning (WSL) as a key pedagogic component of a work-"integrated" learning (WIL) framework. We employed the DACUM…

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is a teaching and learning approach widely adopted across Australian universities. With inclusion across a wide range of programs and courses, WIL is championed as providing authentic and transformative learning environments that may equip graduates for the world of work. Despite a rapid expansion in WIL scholarship,…

This research investigates the integration of industry projects and mentorship into academic curricula, aiming to enhance student learning and professional readiness. By incorporating real-world projects and pairing students with industry mentors, this approach seeks to provide a unique blend of theoretical knowledge and practical application.…

Within Career and Technical Education (CTE), some students have the opportunity to participate in Work Based Learning (WBL) as a third-level course to achieve CTE completer status. Participation in WBL has proposed benefits beyond students learning technical skills to the more substantial development of employability skills. Although employers…

As graduate labour market conditions have become increasingly challenging, higher education institutions have intensified their focus on 'employability' via strategies such as work placements. Focusing on work placements in the media and creative industries, this article identifies and analyses three key discourses that animate the pedagogical…

The explicit linking of institutional funding to in-curricular industry engagement and graduate employment affirms the strategic importance of enhancing graduate employability in Australia. Key strategies to enhance graduate employability and employment outcomes are work-integrated learning (WIL) (where students engage with industry as part of…

Purpose: This paper aims to identify challenges in business school and business collaboration when implementing work-integrated learning (WIL) as a vehicle to enhance student work-life realities and possible employability opportunities. Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopts a five-step literature synthesis method. In-depth review and…

Purpose: The 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…

We study whether the completion of an optional professional year placement during undergraduate studies enhances job quality, in terms of earnings, job security and career fit, for economics graduates from a UK university. Using linear and discrete choice models, we estimate the effect of doing a professional year placement on four graduate…