March 2009 — Volume 3, Issue 4

Australia leads thinking on understanding WIL

Is Work Integrated Learning (WIL) part of the pedagogy or is it a new pedagogy? This question posed by Charles Sturt University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Goulter reflects thinking underway in Australia about a concept that now has widespread take-up.

While WIL has been an integral part of the curriculum in some universities for decades, it’s only been over the last three years that its importance has been much more widely recognised, according to Professor Goulter who believes that Australia is now setting the pace for discussion and practice world-wide.

His global perspective is informed by his role as immediate past president of the World Association for Cooperative Education (WACE). An international organisation devoted to promoting WIL, WACE works with individuals and institutions drawn from more than 48 countries.

“Our thinking about WIL in Australia is quite advanced and we’re undoubtedly leading the charge on how you understand WIL, models of learning as well as a broader understanding of WIL.

“It’s become clear that graduates are not as well prepared for work or employment and there’s been insufficient interaction between employers and universities (industry),” he contends.

“Added to that we have a skills shortage and the understanding that universities need to engage for economic and social advancement.” Providing practical work experience prior to graduation to ensure graduates hit the job market with the requisite skills remains the core aim of WIL, much as it was originally conceptualised.

But Professor Goulter says there has been a huge shift to a much broader understanding of what can constitute a WIL experience along with a deliberate move to interpret the term as broadly as possible.

Challenges include reskilling and upskilling, often while continuing to participate in the workforce underlining the need for flexible delivery and part-time training.

“The interesting thing is that students are already working at that point – learning integrated work, the reverse of WIL, which represents another prism.” But Professor Goulter believes this trend is also heavily influenced by other issues such as the massification of Australia’s higher education sector which has resulted in many more people joining the professions.

While nursing and teaching have always included a component of on-the-job training, greater acknowledgement of the need for more practical preparation for other professions is much more broadly acknowledged as more employers expect work-ready graduates.

The activities of the professions are also changing rapidly with new professions emerging. “So as well as job ready skills you also need high level critical skills to negotiate those new environments, according to Professor Goulter.

“WIL has already come into its own as various professions see the value and benefits that graduates derive from the experience,” he says recalling his time as a young engineer combining the theoretical with practical work experience.

“Now there is growing understanding of the value of work experience and that helps with the content part of the curriculum – learning is set in context so that concepts are more easily understood and integrated. Overall, students are developing a much better understanding of the world around them.”