The impact of work integrated learning (WIL) on construction management students

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) for university students can take many forms. These include cadetships, practicums, field placements, internships, service learning, volunteering, simulations, and employer-identified research problems. Different disciplines take widely varying approaches to both the amount and the variety of WIL required from undergraduates. For construction management students, it is particularly important that formal university study incorporates an understanding of industry culture and practice developed on real building projects. This can represent a resourcing challenge for academics designing undergraduate programs. Businesses may have expectations that student timetables can be built around the employer's priorities. In contrast, universities systems often do not regard external work experience for students as a high priority. At an Australian university, a study of student outcomes compared with the quantity and nature of their industry experience was undertaken. The records of 360 graduates over seven years between 2008 and 2014 were evaluated. The study concludes that WIL in construction management has an ill-defined impact on academic performance. As a result, student industry experience while studying in construction management undergraduate programs needs to be evaluated and recorded in a manner that recognizes its worth to industry as well as to the individual career path.