1. 29/04/2021
Work Integrated Learning
Among Gen Y and Z Conference
Beyond Discipline-Based Work-Integrated
Learning Placements in Engineering and
Science
Stuart Palmer
WorkSafe Victoria, Australia
Karen Young
Deakin University, Australia
4. A pragmatic approach
There are critiques of the impact of WIL
• Some research is based on simple correlation, ignoring confounding variables
• That is evidence WIL may reproduce existing advantages/inequalities in the job market
There are critiques of the generations concept
• Multiplicity of definitions/dates
• Impossible to disambiguate ‘generations’ from age and contemporaneous events
5. A pragmatic approach
Many universities, through policy and/or competition are committed to WIL
So, there is a need to do it well
For our investigation, the precise delineation of the generations is not critical
We’ve adopted the following commencing years:
• 1981 for generation Y (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018); and,
• 1997 for generation Z (Pew Research Center, 2019)
6. In Australia …
The conventional age for entry to university is at 18 or 19 years
Bachelor courses are generally three or four years in length
Generation Y were entering university form 2000-2015
... and have almost all graduated
Generation Z were entering university from 2016
… and are now studying, have recently graduated, or, are on the way
7. Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment (SEBE)
At Deakin University in Australia
Faculty enrolment approximately 12,000 students
In both 2019 & 2020, almost 1300 students completed some form of WIL subject
Almost all SEBE undergraduate programs now contain a compulsory WIL subject
Numbers completing WIL subjects will continue to grow for some time
WIL is important for SEBE
WIL in SEBE at Deakin
8. Traditionally engineering has included a requirement for 12 weeks ‘work experience’
One Deakin environmental science course offered a fieldwork placement elective
In 2006, the Faculty commenced offering elective WIL subjects for credit
To fill the gap in most courses that had no WIL offering
Student and market demands, and Faculty WIL strategy, have influenced the Schools
Most courses in all four Schools now contain a compulsory for-credit WIL subject
Historical developments
9. Where do graduates work?
The Australian national census is conducted every five years
Data from the last three censuses (2006, 2011 and 2016) are publicly available
The census records highest qualification, and, current occupation of respondents
It is possible to see:
In which occupations those with engineering and science bachelor degrees work;
and,
What qualifications are held by those working in engineering and science roles
10. Where do BE and BSc grads work?
30.6% 32.1%
25.0%
15.0% 14.7% 10.9%
51.9% 49.4%
51.5%
62.3% 60.1%
60.1%
17.5% 18.5% 23.5% 22.7% 25.2% 29.0%
152,785 200,270 260,838 135,688 161,527 193,160
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
BE 2006 BE 2011 BE 2016 BSc 2006 BSc 2011 BSc 2016
Proportion
of
bachelor
graduates...
Bachelorgraduate discipline group/year
…workingina professionalrole …otherwise employed …not working Number of respondents
11. Where do BE and BSc grads work?
30.6% 32.1%
25.0%
15.0% 14.7% 10.9%
51.9% 49.4%
51.5%
62.3% 60.1%
60.1%
17.5% 18.5% 23.5% 22.7% 25.2% 29.0%
152,785 200,270 260,838 135,688 161,527 193,160
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
BE 2006 BE 2011 BE 2016 BSc 2006 BSc 2011 BSc 2016
Proportion
of
bachelor
graduates...
Bachelorgraduate discipline group/year
…workingina professionalrole …otherwise employed …not working Number of respondents
12. Where do BE and BSc grads work?
30.6% 32.1%
25.0%
15.0% 14.7% 10.9%
51.9% 49.4%
51.5%
62.3% 60.1%
60.1%
17.5% 18.5% 23.5% 22.7% 25.2% 29.0%
152,785 200,270 260,838 135,688 161,527 193,160
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
BE 2006 BE 2011 BE 2016 BSc 2006 BSc 2011 BSc 2016
Proportion
of
bachelor
graduates...
Bachelorgraduate discipline group/year
…workingina professionalrole …otherwise employed …not working Number of respondents
13. Where do BE and BSc grads work?
30.6% 32.1%
25.0%
15.0% 14.7% 10.9%
51.9% 49.4%
51.5%
62.3% 60.1%
60.1%
17.5% 18.5% 23.5% 22.7% 25.2% 29.0%
152,785 200,270 260,838 135,688 161,527 193,160
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
BE 2006 BE 2011 BE 2016 BSc 2006 BSc 2011 BSc 2016
Proportion
of
bachelor
graduates...
Bachelorgraduate discipline group/year
…workingina professionalrole …otherwise employed …not working Number of respondents
14. Engineering – 2016 census
25.0%
23.5%
14.7%
11.9%
8.8%
4.8%
3.4%
1.9%
1.6% 1.5% 0.9% 0.9% 0.8% 0.3% Engineering - 25.0%
Not working - 23.5%
General - 14.7%
Management - 11.9%
IT - 8.8%
Technical - 4.8%
Marketing - 3.4%
Construction - 1.9%
Professional other - 1.6%
Finance - 1.5%
Education - 0.9%
Unknown - 0.9%
Science - 0.8%
Health - 0.3%
Total - 260,176
15. Science – 2011 census
25.2%
17.4%
14.7%
10.6%
7.4%
5.8%
5.2%
3.1%
3.0%
2.3% 2.2% 1.5% 1.0% 0.6%
Not working - 25.2%
General - 17.4%
Science (Prof.) - 14.7%
Management - 10.6%
IT - 7.4%
Education - 5.8%
Marketing - 5.2%
Science (Tech.) - 3.1%
Finance - 3.0%
Health - 2.3%
Eng./Tech. - 2.2%
Professional other - 1.5%
Unknown - 1.0%
Construction - 0.6%
17. Who works in eng & science roles?
43.2% 45.6% 46.3%
27.0% 26.1% 23.9%
10.5%
12.9% 14.3%
18.7% 20.0% 20.8%
46.2% 41.5% 39.4%
54.4% 53.9% 55.3%
108,046 141,116 140,963 75,742 90,951 88,197
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
PE 2006 PE 2011 PE 2016 PSc 2006 PSc 2011 PSc 2016
Working
in
a
discipline
professional
role,
has...
Disciplineprofessional group/year
… bachelorqualification …higherqualification …other/noqualification Number of respondents
18. Who works in eng & science roles?
43.2% 45.6% 46.3%
27.0% 26.1% 23.9%
10.5%
12.9% 14.3%
18.7% 20.0% 20.8%
46.2% 41.5% 39.4%
54.4% 53.9% 55.3%
108,046 141,116 140,963 75,742 90,951 88,197
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
PE 2006 PE 2011 PE 2016 PSc 2006 PSc 2011 PSc 2016
Working
in
a
discipline
professional
role,
has...
Disciplineprofessional group/year
… bachelorqualification …higherqualification …other/noqualification Number of respondents
19. Who works in eng & science roles?
43.2% 45.6% 46.3%
27.0% 26.1% 23.9%
10.5%
12.9% 14.3%
18.7% 20.0% 20.8%
46.2% 41.5% 39.4%
54.4% 53.9% 55.3%
108,046 141,116 140,963 75,742 90,951 88,197
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
PE 2006 PE 2011 PE 2016 PSc 2006 PSc 2011 PSc 2016
Working
in
a
discipline
professional
role,
has...
Disciplineprofessional group/year
… bachelorqualification …higherqualification …other/noqualification Number of respondents
20. Who works in eng & science roles?
43.2% 45.6% 46.3%
27.0% 26.1% 23.9%
10.5%
12.9% 14.3%
18.7% 20.0% 20.8%
46.2% 41.5% 39.4%
54.4% 53.9% 55.3%
108,046 141,116 140,963 75,742 90,951 88,197
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
PE 2006 PE 2011 PE 2016 PSc 2006 PSc 2011 PSc 2016
Working
in
a
discipline
professional
role,
has...
Disciplineprofessional group/year
… bachelorqualification …higherqualification …other/noqualification Number of respondents
21. Qualifications vs professional roles
260,838
140,963
193,160
88,197
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
BE quals
2016
PE role
2016
BSc quals
2016
PSc role
2016
Number
of
people
22. Qualifications vs professional roles
260,838
140,963
193,160
88,197
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
BE quals
2016
PE role
2016
BSc quals
2016
PSc role
2016
Number
of
people
23. Qualifications vs professional roles
260,838
140,963
193,160
88,197
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
BE quals
2016
PE role
2016
BSc quals
2016
PSc role
2016
Number
of
people
119,875
104,963
24. A traditional view of WIL
An opportunity for students to apply discipline-specific knowledge in a
workplace context
“… a nexus between canonical knowledge of the discipline and the
activities constitutive of professional/workplace practice” (Smith, 2016,
p. 346).
25. A broader conception of WIL
Given the graduate occupational outcomes of the last decade revealed
by the census data, if WIL placements for Australian engineering and
science students are intended to be accurate representations of
graduate practice, then they need to encompass options for contexts
beyond only engineering and science workplaces
26. SEBE elective WIL subjects
Initially offered in 2006 to ‘fill the gaps’ for courses with no WIL option
The offering has developed over the intervening years
Most courses now include a mandatory, core WIL placement subject
However, some students still complete one or more of the Faculty electives
They do so having already completed a mandatory placement
There is strong student interest in WIL
27. STP301 Industry Based Learning – a 6–12 week WIL placement that allows
students to develop their knowledge and skills of the discipline in a
discipline-specific workplace to enhance their employability
STP341 Career Placement – a 112–160 hour pre-professional WIL placement
that allows students to prepare for their portfolio careers and apply
transferable skills in a broad range of workplaces to enhance their
employability
SEBE elective WIL subjects
28. Assessment (re-)design
STP301 and STP341 share a learning and assessment design:
• Development of placement goals
• Completion of periodic work logs
• Placement outcomes presentation
• Placement evaluation
• Employability skills reflection
29. Student engagement
In 2018 and 2019, more than 100 students enrolled in the STP subjects
About 25% were for STP341 – an out of field placement for credit
The STP subjects are electives that students seek out to expand their WIL
Additionally, in 2018, another 15 students from outside of SEBE enrolled
in STP341 seeking an out of field placement
30. Conclusions
Viewing placement WIL in the STEM disciplines through the lens of
generational cohorts provides a valuable and productive approach
The evidence of where Australian generation Y engineering and science
graduates have worked …
… can inform the design of WIL programs for generation Z students
The Australian census is one useful source graduate outcomes data
31. In recognition of these outcomes, the focus of traditional discipline-
based placement-based WIL needs to be broadened to encompasses out
of field topics and settings likely to benefit many graduates in practice
We’ve presented one example in which a broader conception of
placement-based WIL was implemented in engineering and science, via
an elective unit that allows an out of field WIL, without requiring major
changes to existing curricula
Conclusions
32. Postscript
The occurrence of the Covid-19 pandemic has transformed and
expedited new and adapted forms of WIL in higher education
Subsequently, new conceptions of what is possible under the umbrella of
WIL have now been expanded for the better and for good
In Australia, the 2021 national census will occur later this year
We expect to see similar outcomes as observed over the last decade
