Deborah Peach

Internationalising work‐integrated learning: creating global citizens to meet the economic crisis and the skills shortage

Research indicates that for many multinational companies, the global skills shortage has made it difficult to attract competent workers to some international locations. In developing economies, business leaders often cite poor business acumen and little real‐world experience as serious shortcomings in the domestic pool of applicants. In addition to the skills shortage, businesses are currently confronting a global economic crisis, which has seen many economies slump into recession. Despite this economic downturn, Australia has continued to thrive as a destination of choice for international students. As the reputation of Australia’s work‐integrated learning (WIL) expertise grows, so too does its international following. Offering some of the more robust project‐based learning experiences, Australian universities have become the first choice for many international students seeking to enhance their workplace readiness. Two Australian institutions attracting attention for their approaches to WIL are Griffith University, with its flagship Industrial Affiliates Program (IAP), and Queensland University of Technology (QUT), which has funded an in‐depth learning and teaching project designed to facilitate the embedding of authentic real‐world learning experiences across the entire curriculum. This paper uses a case study approach to highlight the experiences of Griffith University’s IAP students and considers QUT’s current research projects. It also explores the implications for Australian tertiary institutions seeking to work with organisations to produce graduates who can respond to the changing economic circumstances and who can add value to global organisations in periods of uncertainty.

Scoping work integrated learning purposes, practices and issues

A range of terms is used in Australian higher education institutions to describe learning approaches and teaching models that provide students with opportunities to engage in learning connected to the world of work. The umbrella term currently being used widely is Work-Integrated Learning (WIL). The common aim of approaches captured under the term WIL is to integrate discipline-specific knowledge learnt in university setting with that learnt in the practice of work through purposefully designed curriculum. In endeavours to extend WIL opportunities for students, universities are currently exploring authentic learning experiences, both within and outside of university settings. Some universities describe these approaches as ‘real-world learning’ or ‘professional learning’. Others refer to ‘social engagement’ with the community and focus on building social capital and citizenship through curriculum design that enables students to engage with the professions through a range of learning experiences. This chapter discusses the context for, and the scope, purposes, characteristics and effectiveness of, WIL across Australian universities as derived from a national scoping study. This study, undertaken in response to a high level of interest in WIL, involved data collection from employers and representatives of state and federal government and students and staff at nearly all Australian universities. Participants in the study consistently reported the benefits, especially in relation to the student-learning experience. Responses highlight the importance of strong partnerships between stakeholders to facilitate effective learning outcomes and a range of issues that shape the quality of approaches and models being adopted, in promoting professional learning.