Degree apprenticeships in the UK represent a shift in approach to degree-level study. As the model matures, it is important to hear perspectives of apprentices. Using Q methodology, the study aims to identify the different apprentices' viewpoints of the apprenticeship, exploring aspects of belonging, support, challenges and views of the learning…

As part of their international higher education experience, international students in some degree programs are required to secure and complete work placements. This is challenging to many, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, there is limited research on how international students navigate challenges to secure placements in…

With the desire to expand work-integrated learning opportunities for Canadian postsecondary students, it is timely to consider how pre-existing student work positions may be transformed to achieve the educational criteria and benefits of work-integrated learning. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of structured learning support on…

Higher education students are increasingly engaging in work experiences, often directed towards enriching their study and promoting employability. Considerable institutional and personal resources are directed towards these experiences. It is important, therefore, to identify how to utilise them in achieving particular educational purposes. An…

Traditionally, there has been a focus on the academic side of university. But with more young people studying for degrees in an increasingly competitive job market, it is now becoming clear that a degree alone is not enough for young people to succeed in the world of work. Even if two young people go to the same university and achieve the same…

Much of the research into higher education and its role in work-based learning (WBL), and especially in supporting undergraduate students on placements, has focussed on longer term internships and sandwich courses. Research has also focussed on subject areas that have traditionally been associated with the above; for example, Business, Health, and…

University students have faced a challenging year, and the academic experience has been widely discussed. But higher education is much broader than just what happens in the lecture hall, with the benefits of the university experience coming from participation in extra-curricular activities, work placements and other enrichment activities, as well…

Purpose: This paper seeks to challenge the view that student part time employment detracts from academic attainment and presents evidence that when linked to formal undergraduate study provides rich learning experiences. It also explores the extent to which formerly accepted pre-requisites for work based learning (WBL) apply in this model and how…

A study of 353 college students compared effects of structured and nonstructured forms of work on career and school goals, attitudes toward work, and work-related values. Results indicate that working during college seems to relate to attitudes toward work, education, and student life. (CH)

The work experience module used in secondary schools in Lothian, Scotland, was evaluated by soliciting the opinions of the teachers and career officers who organize it, the students who participate, and the employers who provide work experience placements. Data were gathered between October 1990 and March 1991 from 699 students in 38 schools, 151…

This report describes the 2-year cooperative education demonstration project conducted in three colleges of the San Mateo Junior College District (California). The project, involving all academic disciplines, offers co-op students three plans: (1) alternate class attendance and a full-time job in conjunction with another student on a semester…

A study examined student learning in the workplace. Surveys of 1,451 students from 13 Australian secondary schools and 9 case studies found that communication skills and finding out what workplaces are really like constituted the bulk of workplace learning. Students reported learning experientially, and learning more in paid work and vocational…

An Australian study explored assumptions underlying thinking about work experience and vocational placement programs described in the literature, documented how much they were warranted by available evidence, and examined student and employer benefits. Surveys collected data from the following: students in grades 10-12 who participated in…

An evaluation of work experience programs in Queensland state secondary schools had three goals. It examined current practices and identified effective practices to guide program planning and development; based on expected student benefits, it provided a categorization of the types of experience that students encounter during work experience…