Student’s perception of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) in agriculture

Abstract

CONTEXT <br/> Snodgrass (1974) indicated the need for work experience was common in agricultural courses prior to the 1950s in the USA. More recently, work integrated learning (WIL) is making the boundaries of university more permeable and may include visits to industry experts, virtual simulations and practicums (Ferns, Campbell and Zegwaard, 2014). In developing the Australian TLOs in consultation with employers, work experience was highlighted as a requirement to help students gain employment and to improve understanding of the industry. This also aligns with the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level 7 requirement for knowledge and skills in professional work (Acuña et al., 2014). The way in which Australian universities approach WIL varies but at the University of New England, WIL activities are embedded in units along with the traditional industry placement as a formal course requirement for agricultural students. Bachelor of Rural Science students complete 16 weeks approved practical work in four or more enterprise categories, and the remaining agricultural courses complete 12 weeks in three or more enterprise categories (School of ERS, 2019). <br/> AIM <br/> This presentation aims to evaluate the perceptions of students and academic staff of the practical work experience (industry placement) component of WIL. <br/> METHODS <br/> Undergraduate agriculture students (both part time and full time students) were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey, with over a quarter of enrolled students completing the survey (122 students). Agricultural academic teaching staff were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey with 13 (65%) responding. Both online surveys <br/> ACTUAL OUTCOMES <br/> Of the student respondents 50% had completed some or all of their courses work experience requirement. Over 65% of respondents were already employed whilst studying, and of these 62% were employed in the agriculture industry. The majority of students (89%) felt work experience was important and/or added to their employability. Of the respondents who have completed work experience, 80% said it increased their confidence in finding employment with the remaining 20% already employed. <br/> Academic staff were asked if practical work experience was important and contributed to student employability; 12 of the 13 respondents supported industry placement, providing reasons such as context, relevance and motivation for study, practical application and networking. <br/> RECOMMENDATIONS <br/> Both students and staff have identified the strong benefits of formal practical work experience across various enterprises to gain exposure to a wide range of skills, circumstances and industry context in line with the requirements of an AQF level 7 course. UNE has reaffirmed the need to continue to use embedded WIL from strong industry links along with formal work experience requirements to ensure graduates are workplace-ready.