Managing work-integrated learning (WIL) at a comprehensive university: a Communication Science perspective
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Date
2023
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University of Zululand
Abstract
Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) is not new to non-traditional universities like the University of Technology or colleges as they already have the training and professional vocational education in their programmes. However, traditional universities have been lagging in providing vocational education in their programmes. Whereas the labour market is calling for graduates with practical and soft skills. One of the ways students can obtain these skills is through the WIL component offered within their program. Lately, traditional universities are reforming and gradually adding WIL to their programmes to produce graduates with practical skills who can compete in a global market. This research sought to examine, from a communication science perspective, how a comprehensive university effectively manages WIL.
Moreover, this research sought to determine the purpose of a work-integrated learning policy at a comprehensive university; explore the advantages and disadvantages of undertaking WIL; to establish the employers’ perception of WIL. This study was conducted using a qualitative and quantitative approach, interviews were conducted, and a questionnaire was distributed to WIL internal and external stakeholders of the Department of Communication Science. In this study, the term “WIL stakeholders” is used to identify the university community (students and academics) and the employer training the student. The results show that the University of Zululand WIL’s purpose is largely focused on producing graduates who have been exposed to diverse quality practices and procedures for WIL to enable a smooth transition to the workplace. There is also a strong collaboration between UNIZULU and the industry that needs to be documented and reviewed to accommodate unforeseen aspects such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The experienced challenges also need to be reviewed and addressed. The study recommends that UNIZULU needs to have a centre for Work Integrated Learning that oversees WIL across faculties for the effective management of WIL.
Description
A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Communication Science in the Department of Communication Science at the University of Zululand, South Africa [2023].