A WORK INTEGRATED LEARNING PARTNERSHIP MODEL FOR HIGHER EDUCATION GRADUATES TO GAIN EMPLOYMENT

ABSTRACT

South Africa has embarked on a National Development Plan and Vision for 2030 to promote a triple helix partnership with education, government and industry to reduce the unemployment rate from 27% in 2011 to 6% by 2030. In support of this national imperative, the Human Resources Management (HRM) Programme at the University of Johannesburg pioneered a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Partnership Model to promote the employability of graduates. The WIL model allows students to gain workplace knowledge, skills and experience while industry partners observe the newly emerging talent in the form of future-fit leaders entering the world of work. Research was conducted to elicit the responses of key stakeholders on the proposed implementation of the WIL partnership model. Qualitative focus group sessions were facilitated with industry, academic and student groups to highlight common and profound perspectives on participant support, concerns and questions on the implementation process. Major findings reveal that all three groups of participants supported the implementation of the WIL model. Industry welcomed the model as it provided opportunities for recruitment and meeting national skills imperatives. Academics supported the model as it bridged the theory–practice gap while meeting compliance standards. Students supported the model as they gained workplace exposure and put theory into practice. All three participant groups expressed concerns and raised questions on placement, indemnity, confidentiality, work preparedness, time span, tracking processes and practice–theory alignment. This article presents the current WIL trends, research method, research findings, the WIL Partnership Model, and the implications for implementation of the model.

Keywords:

• higher education
• theory–practice gap
• WIL Partnership Model

Additional information

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

COOKIE GOVENDER has a PhD in Educational Philosophy and a Master's in Curriculum Development and Educational Leadership. She is a lecturer in Human Resource Management at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), Faculty of Management. Her expertise lies in curriculum design, programme evaluation, assessment, organisational and employee development, and talent management. She is a registered Master HR Professional with the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP). She served on the SABPP Board of Directors until 2014.

SUSANNE TAYLOR has been lecturer and Head of the School of Information Technology at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). She is currently the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Coordinator at UJ. She is enrolled for a PhD in Education, looking into critical success factors for partnership development for student experiential industry placements. Susanne has delivered papers at various national and international conferences on topics related to skills development and on the importance of students being prepared for the workplace. She has published several articles and has contributed chapters in four books.