Using Work Integrated Learning programmes as a strategy to broaden academic and workplace competencies

Abstract

Orientation: Work Integrated Learning (WIL) is often hailed for leveraging students’ swift and flexible adaptation to organisational work demands and accentuating the relevance of knowledge acquired in academic environments to work contexts. However, an inclusive view of WIL’s impact on students’ academic life, especially the broadening of their academic competences, is often occluded by a selective approach to WIL, which emphasises employers’ professional expectations and ignores the nature and process of competence development of students.Research purpose: To bridge the research gap created by employer-centred approaches, this study explores particular South African University of Technology (UoT) ‘students’ perceptions’ on the influence of WIL programmes on the broadening of Office Management and Technology (OMT) competencies (i.e. knowledge, skills and abilities).Motivation for the study: To promote an alternative approach to unravelling OMT competencies, which takes cognisance of the perceptions of students, who are the actual participants in WIL.Research design, approach and method: The study drew on a quantitative case study of 94 OMT students from the UoT’s two campuses who had been successfully placed at 20 organisations in South Africa.Main findings: The findings demonstrated that students’ participation in WIL enhanced their practical knowledge of space management, encouraged swift learning of work-based skills and abilities as well as facilitated the transfer of these competencies across a wide range of contexts, activities and tasks.Practical and managerial implications: The strong correlation between course organisation and WIL’s enhancement of space management knowledge, skills and abilities implies that educators and employers need to place more emphasis not just on their delivery methods but also on the selection and organisation of content, which is critical to such delivery.Recommendations: The study recommended the strengthening of the entire WIL conceptualisation and implementation process (i.e. content selection, content organisation, teaching modalities and computer-assisted delivery) and its delivery regime to ensure sustained improvement of student competencies.

Embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution: The Effectiveness of Work Integrated Learning

“…It is also documented that WIL enhances students' skills development; deepens and embeds knowledge and understanding, and enhances work-related capabilities [72,65,74,41]. In other words, WIL ensures development of competence critical to students' entry into the workforce [58,16]. [72] assert that a good practice in WIL would facilitate the integration and alignment of theory to practice.…”

Effect of undergraduate student age on work-integrated learning preparation and experience

“…WIL curricula focus on learning outcomes and assessment criteria that allow students to engage in practical learning in the real workplace setting. Comyn and Brewer [18] and Rambe [23] specifically viewed WIL as the practical aspect of the curriculum where students relate with the actual workplace through active participation in work activities and tasks. WIL outcomes must allow the student to be well prepared to engage and perform in the organisation in anticipation of successful future employment and career.…”

“…There is an adequate evidence, pointing to the efficacy of integrating WIL into university curricula as it is an effective approach for preparing graduates for life in the workplace. WIL is described as a way to facilitate the transition from university to work to improve graduate employability by providing practical experience, directly related to university courses [23]. WIL preparation allows for the development of student self-efficacy, transitioning students from pupil to practitioners through work experience and performance accomplishments [5,8].…”

“…Assessing the level of skills students have developed through WIL assists in improving their work readiness and helps explore the strengths and weaknesses of the WIL program in a given context. Students develop these competencies and skills during WIL experiences: interpersonal and communication skills [3,6]; abilities and flexibility to adapt to changing environments [15]; research skills and analytical expertise [22]; confidence in applying for jobs due to self-efficacy [23]; decision making and cognitive abilities as well as group work and collaborative team skills [9].…”

Does the timing of work integrated learning affect graduate employability outcomes?

“…Work-integrated learning refers to the practical part of the curriculum where students are exposed to authentic/actual workplaces (as opposed to simulated work places) wherein learning occurs through active participation in work activities and programmes orientated around current and /or future careers (Comyn and Brewer 2018;Hills et al 2003;Rambe 2018;Roopnarain and Akoobhai 2014;Webb and Hayes 2008). Literature uses many different terminologies to denote the formal mutual arrangement between business and higher education that is grounded in experiential learning (McKune 2013).…”