Teaching industry engagement in employment relations

This paper tracks the development and implementation of an Employment Relations engaged learning subject over a five-year period from 2008 to 2012 at the University of Western Sydney. It discusses the opportunities for industry involvement and program development as well as the obstacles for institutional resourcing and curriculum development that emerged during this period. The paper considers a range of issues including the impact of large student numbers, the tensions and limitations of staffing arrangements, the pressures and demands from industry partners, and the overriding impact on learning and the 'student experience'. In principle, engaged learning offers many benefits to students within Employment Relations, and while this paper will argue that it is fundamentally worthwhile, it will also demonstrate that it is a long-term process that requires serious institutional investment and academic commitment.