Work-integrated Learning HUB
The journey from school to work varies for each student, with many facing challenges that can impact their learning and career opportunities. Work Integrated Learning (WIL) effectively bridges the gap between academics and the workplace, allowing students to develop their skills in real-world settings. This approach not only enhances their education but also fosters valuable connections, ultimately improving learning outcomes and expanding career pathways.
Why is WIL Beneficial
- Real-World Experience: WIL provides students with hands-on experience in their field of study, allowing them to apply theoretical knowledge in practical settings. This experience is invaluable for career readiness.
- Enhanced Employability: Employers often seek candidates with practical experience. Participating in WIL can make graduates more attractive to potential employers and improve their job prospects.
- Skill Development: Through WIL, students can develop essential skills such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and time management, which are critical in the workplace.
- Networking Opportunities: WIL enables students to establish professional relationships and build a network within their industry. These connections can lead to job opportunities and mentorship.
- Insights into Industry Practices: Students gain a better understanding of industry standards, workplace cultures, and the realities of working in their chosen fields, which can guide their career choices.
- Contributions to Organizations: WIL not only benefits students but also organizations that host them. Students can bring fresh perspectives and contribute to projects, helping companies innovate and solve problems.
- Feedback and Reflection: Students receive constructive feedback from employers, which helps them identify their strengths and areas for improvement, ultimately enhancing their future performance.
- Informed Career Decisions: Through practical experiences, students can explore various roles within their field, enabling them to make informed decisions about their career paths.
- Providing opportunities, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), in Africa, with the tools, resources, and support they need to create or expand WIL opportunities across the country
Types of WIL
Apprenticeship
An agreement between an apprentice and an employer who is willing to sponsor the apprentice and provide paid practical experience under the direction of a certified journeyperson in an appropriate work environment. Apprenticeships combine about 80% on-the-job experience with 20% classroom training and depending on the trade takes about 2-5 years to complete. Both the workplace experience and the classroom training are essential components of the learning experience.
Field Placement
Provides students with a part-time/ short term intensive hands-on practical experience in a setting relevant to their academic discipline. Field placements may not require supervision of a registered or licensed professional and the completed work experience hours are not required for professional certification. Field placements account for work-integrated educational experiences not encompassed by other forms, such as co-op, clinic, practicum, and internship.
Co-operative Education
Co-op consists of alternating academic terms and paid work terms. Co-op internship consists of several co-op work terms back-to-back. In both models, work terms provide experience in a workplace setting related to the student’s field of study. The number of required work terms varies by program; however, the time spent in work terms must be at least 30% of the time spent in academic study for programs over 2 years in length and 25% of time for programs 2 years and shorter in length.
Internships
Offers usually one discipline-specific, supervised, structured paid or unpaid, and for academic credit work experience or practice placement. Internships may occur in the middle of an academic program or after all academic coursework has been completed and prior to graduation. Internships can be of any length but are typically 12 to 16 mont
hs long.
Service Learning
Service Learning, also known as Community Service Learning (CSL), integrates meaningful community service with classroom instruction and critical reflection to enrich the learning experience and strengthen communities. In practice, students work in partnership with a community-based organization to apply their disciplinary knowledge to a challenge identified by the community.
Clinical Placement
Involves work experience under the supervision of an experienced registered or licensed professional in any discipline that requires practice-based work experience for professional licensure or certification. The practicum is generally unpaid and, as the work is done in a supervised setting, typically students do not have their own workload/caseload.
Entrepreneurship
Allows a student to leverage resources, space, mentorship and/or funding to engage in the early-stage development of business start-ups and/or to advance external ideas that address real-world needs for academic credit.
Work Experience
Intersperses one or two work terms (typically full-time) into an academic program, where work terms provide experience in a workplace setting related to the student’s field of study and/or career goals
Applied Research Projects
Students are engaged in research that occurs primarily in workplaces, including: consulting projects, design projects, community-based research projects
Emerging WIL Models
- Micro-placements: Students work individually or in teams for short periods between two and ten days.
- Online projects or placements: Students undertake remote WIL placements or projects and interact with supervisors on a variety of digital platforms.
- Incubators and start-ups: Students participate in a workspace, access mentorship and other supports to explore the development of a new business. In other cases, students are placed or undertake projects for a start-up business.
- Consulting: Students work individually or in teams to offer consultancy services to businesses. Consulting services may be offered by interdisciplinary teams that include experienced professionals alongside undergraduate students at participating post-secondary institutions.
- Interdisciplinary research-based internships: This model engages postsecondary students in undertaking interdisciplinary research for a lead investigator at their institution and/or at a host organization. Students should be engaged in boundary learning at the intersection of their discipline and another field of study.
Success Stories
““My WIL experience gave me the skills and confidence to step into a full-time role right after graduation.””
Amira R.Applied Research Student
““We hired two of our interns after their placements — they came in ready to contribute.””
D. MalikFutureTech Solutions
““WIL partnerships transformed the way we design our curriculum. It’s now more responsive and industry-aligned.””
Dr. L. OwensDean of Academic Partnerships
Resources
Our collection of resources includes a variety of downloadable guides, case studies, and policy briefs aimed at supporting students, employers, and post-secondary institutions. You’ll find a beginner-friendly “Getting Started with WIL” guide, a growing library of real-world case studies from past partnerships, and a video series sharing insights and experiences from WIL participants. These resources are updated regularly to reflect emerging best practices and sector insights.
Mentoring Post-Secondary Students
Work-integrated learning provides students with meaningful opportunities to apply their academic knowledge in real work settings. Through WIL experiences, students learn how to navigate the application and interview process, improve their networking skills, and understand workplace expectations. Onboarding into a professional environment gives them insight into organizational culture and procedures, while structured reflection helps them recognize their growth and areas for improvement. These practical experiences develop their confidence and capabilities, making them more employable and better prepared for future careers.
Tools
The WIL Hub offers practical tools to support successful implementation of work-integrated learning programs. These include a WIL Planning Toolkit to help organizations select the right model, an Employer Readiness Checklist to evaluate hosting capacity, and a WIL Impact Calculator to estimate the potential return on investment. These tools are designed to make planning, onboarding, and measuring success more accessible and effective for both employers and educational institutions.
Past Funded Partnerships
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Tech4Youth Program (2021–2022): A collaboration between three colleges and six software firms to provide real-time app development internships.
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Green Futures Co-op Pilot (2020): Environmental science students contributed to urban reforestation plans in partnership with municipalities.
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Skills in Action (2019–2020): Health sciences WIL placements in underserved rural clinics.
Find Your WIL
Turns out WIL isn’t just about apprenticeships or co-op. Navigate through our easy-to-use tool to learn more about the different types of WIL. Better yet, in four easy steps, find out how to start or expand your WIL journey. Explore it below! Not sure how to access new talent and ideas, foster a more inclusive workplace culture, or grow your business? WIL can help with all of that. Whether you’re new to WIL or looking to scale up your WIL capacity, BHER’s Find Your WIL tool will help you identify new WIL types based on your sector, commitment level, and capacity
Help Us Empower Future Leaders through Work-Integrated Learning!
Our organization is devoted to bridging the gap between academic studies and real-world work experience to create opportunities for young Africans.