Enhancing employability through placements in higher education

Welcome to this special edition of Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning focusing on enhancing employability by undertaking a work placement while studying at university. In July 2013 the University of Huddersfield hosted a conference on the same theme; the quality of papers presented highlighted the depth and breadth of innovative practice within higher education and subsequently led to the idea of showcasing work in this field through a special edition journal. It is hoped that the experience shared in the papers presented here will contribute to ongoing curriculum development and employability based initiatives to ensure students are supported in becoming employable graduates of the future

Responding to industry needs for proactive engagement in work integrated learning (WIL): Partnerships for the future

With increasing global competitiveness and the need for innovative and entrepreneurial employees, industry are seeking graduates with the skills to meet the demands of an uncertain workplace. Work Integrated Learning (WIL), where skill development is scaffolded across the curriculum, is essential to ensure students are work-ready and prepared for the transition from study to work. Robust partnerships with industry are fundamental to enacting a WIL curriculum as they provide the real world perspective. While industry partners are keen to engage with universities to support authentic learning for students, recent reports highlight the need for industry-focussed resources to facilitate optimal outcomes. This research, funded by The Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT), aimed to determine the topics, format and mode of resources that industry perceived as most useful. The project used a mixed methods approach to ascertain strategies and resources required by industry to support their engagement in WIL. A combination of roundtable discussions, workshops and a survey were deployed to gather data and validate research findings. Outcomes confirmed the topics mode and type of resources industry are seeking. The research will inform national initiatives aimed to enhance the capacity of industry partners to participate in WIL activities

Leading WIL: A distributed leadership approach to enhance work integrated learning. Final report 2014

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) provides rich, relevant learning through a partnership between universities and employers. Through a collaborative approach to building knowledge, the capability and capacity of experienced WIL leaders in the university and orkplace will be enhanced for improved student outcomes. Having established how and where WIL leadership is situated, the project will identify the critical challenges to WIL leadership capabilities and structures. Through institutionally-based Master Classes that model and employ a distributed learning approach, through national Communities of Practice and a WIL Leadership Summit, a framework and guidelines to support WIL leadership capacity building nationally will be developed, trialled and validated. The project will draw upon expertise and experiences of staff from five Australian universities, each with a demonstrated strong WIL commitment. The distributive leadership approach to WIL will be developed and tested within employer-based individual disciplines. The framework and guidelines will be sustained nationally through the key WIL professional association, the Australian Collaborative Education Network

Looking back whilst moving forward - implementing Learning in the Workplace and Community at Victoria University

In 2007 Victoria University (VU) embarked on a major repositioning which aimed to put students‘ needs at the centre of all its activity, and had a focus on student employab ility. The University implemented 5 commitments, one of which was the integration of Learning in the Workplace and Community (LiWC) – VU‘s term for work - integrated learning – into all VU courses. The intention is for LiWC to be embedded within courses and appropriately developed throughout a course. The result is that implementing LiWC at VU is a major project not only in terms of curriculum design, but also one of organisational change. This paper will consider VU as a case study for implementing an insti tution - wide work - integrated learning, providing an overview of the program and offering insights into the complexity of implementing a large - scale organisational change program. It will outline the implementation of an institution - wide LiWC project, and co nsider the issues and challenges of such a major organisational change project. The paper will look back and consider the lessons learned from institution - wide implementation of LiWC including the importance of key pedagogical and curriculum strategies, s taff capability and the significance of an institutional framework that drives the project. The paper will also outline the key challenges that remain to be addressed as an institution, including the evaluation of the LiWC program across the university. While the institution - wide implementation of LiWC at VU is an ongoing process, it is one that has major implications for VU. The process of reflecting on the challenges of organisational change and progress made will help inform future planning. The key ch allenges and lessons learnt from implementing institution - wide LiWC at VU will be valuable for those looking to implement work - integrated learning broadly in their institutions

The emerging future: Innovative models of work-integrated learning

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is a national priority and a strategic direction for Australian universities. To increase industry engagement, there is a need to identify emerging WIL models that enable flexibility while optimizing outcomes for stakeholders. This Australian Technology Network (ATN) project explored approaches that overcome constraints to engagement, particularly for small to medium enterprises (SMEs). The preliminary qualitative phase comprised a literature review, workshops and interviews. Examples of emerging WIL models, both curricula and co-curricular, were clustered into five models: micro-placements, online projects or placements, hackathons, competitions and events, incubators/ start-ups and consulting. This paper outlines these models and summarizes defining features, enablers, challenges and opportunities. Contemporary trends informing innovative WIL design and implementation emerged. Features fell into three broad areas, stakeholder engagement, design elements and co-design with partners. Enablers, challenges and opportunities in the implementation of these WIL models that respond to the changing nature of work were documented.</p