Work-based learning (WBL) is used interchangeably with other concepts such as work-related learning (WRL) and workplace learning (WPL). Work-integrated learning (WIL) considers WBL a subset within WIL. Some scholars and practitioners argue that WBL as a mode of learning is pedagogically incompatible with WRL, WPL, and WIL. WBL and WIL…

There is strong evidence that learning gained in, through and for work, whether it is through employment, voluntary, community, domestic or any other kind of work, helps to equip people with the capabilities that can improve their working lives, their employability and their life skills (Lester and Costley, 2010, Beehives, 2018, WEXHE, 2019).…

It has become evident within higher education and within (or in partnership with) the workplace that there is a growing demand for an integration of learning within the workplace. Formal and intentional models and processes utilizing experiential learning methods and pedagogy are often referred to as work integrated learning. However, there is a…

Work-Based Learning (WBL) in higher education is a field of study established in the UK that has developed since the early 1990s. The possibility for this development came when several universities across the UK were awarded a grant in 1992, from the then Department for Employment, to develop learning from work, in the curriculum. The 1992…

The Constitution for the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) embraces language as a basic human right and multilingualism as a national resource. One latest foreign language to be given recognition by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in 2015 is Mandarin, a Chinese language, for incremental implementation as a non-official optional…

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) is embraced in Australian higher education (HE) and is a feature of most Australian HE 'entry to profession' engineering education programs accredited by Engineers Australia. Accreditation guidelines articulate the need for curriculum-integrated engagement with professional practice (EPP) and encourage EPP in a…

The renewed emphasis on developing flexible learning practices in higher education (HE) underscores the importance of understanding pedagogies for students who are based in the workplace or undertake significant work-related elements of study. This paper draws on research that explores how work-based learning (WBL) pedagogy operates in UK HE using…

Universities across the United States are grappling with both funding and enrollment pressures and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Decreasing state funding coupled with lower birth rates of the recent past (Grawe, 2018) are forcing colleges and universities to rethink enrollment and retention strategies. Amid the push to…

Work-based learning and the inclusion of the world of work into tertiary students' learning lie at the heart of the Australian vocational education and training (VET) system. Traditionally this has been through apprenticeships and traineeships, which have a strong focus on "on-the-job" training, but also through "work-oriented"…

On June 28, the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) convened members of the Commission on Higher Education and Employability (CHEE) in Providence to discuss concrete ways New England employers, education leaders and policymakers can work together to ensure a successful, equitable workforce future. The Commission comprises high-powered…

The value of learning from work-based experience has been advocated by a number of commentators, including management writers as well as those addressing aspects of organisation and leadership in the higher education (HE) sector. Yet, in the field of HE administration, as is the case more generally, evidence suggests the limited application of…

A qualitative case study was carried out in order to understand the enacted reality for three primary school teaching assistants of the notion of situated learning in relation to Lave and Wenger's concept of communities of practice and their description of legitimate peripheral participation. The case study subjects were studying for a work-based…

The idea of a skills gap suggests that employers have jobs available but cannot find skilled applicants because higher education is poorly aligned with workforce needs. This idea is shaping higher education and workforce development policy at the national and state levels, yet limited research exists on the experiences of employers and educators…

The essays presented in this publication are complementary to the UNESCO forthcoming volume on global TVET trends and issues in UNESCO's new Education on the Move series. They cover a wide, although certainly not exhaustive, range of current practices, ideas and debates in the field of technical and vocational education and training (TVET). They…

Although a multitude of programs in higher education integrate formal pedagogy with practical work experience (e.g., internships, practicum, and cooperative education), their underlying logic is largely the same: to enhance the value of the learning experience through an integration of work and education. To date, however, there appears to be no…