WELCOME
Welcome to the seventh edition of the WACE Newsletter. This newsletter is aimed at helping you stay connected to Co-operative & Work-Integrated Education (CWIE) developments across the globe. WACE is the only international professional organization dedicated to developing, expanding, branding, and advocating for cooperative & work-integrated education programs within industry and educational institutions.
In this newsletter, we introduce our newly elected WACE Executive Committee members and provide information about the upcoming WACE Annual General Meeting (AGM). The call for abstracts for the International Research Symposium to be held in Kanazawa Japan hosted by Kanazawa Institute of Technology from 31 August to 2 September 2022 is open. We hope to see you in person in Japan or join us for this important symposium online.
In other news, we profile one of our members Central University of Technology, Free State, South Africa, and news from national associations. Information about the next WACE Global Challenge and Global WIL modules coming up in 2022 are also announced.
Judie Kay, Norah McRae, Nancy Johnston, and Jim Stellar
WACE Secretariat
TABLE OF CONTENTS
In this newsletter you can connect with:
- the latest WACE News
- professional development opportunities
- research news from the International Research Community
- the newest institutional WACE Member
- regional news from National WIL associations around the world
- hot off the press publications in the International Journal of WIL, and
- shared WIL resources
WACE NEWS
WELCOME TO OUR NEW EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
We had two openings on the Executive Committee and received two applications to fill those roles. As such, we are honoured to acclaim our latest two members to this Executive Committee. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Patrice Twomey from the University of Limerick, Ireland, and Dr. Karsten Zegwaard from the University of Waikato, New Zealand. Their bios can be found on our website.
WACE Annual General Meeting (AGM) November 18 – Save the date!
You are all invited to the WACE AGM on November 18 from 8:00 am – 9:30 am (Eastern Standard Time North America). The AGM agenda is:
- Land Acknowledgement & Opening Remarks (Norah McRae)
- Call to Order
- Approval of the Parliamentarian
- Approval of the Agenda
- Treasurer’s Report (Jim Stellar)2020/21
- Financial Statements
- Appointment of Auditor for 2021/22 Audit
- Consent Agenda Items:WACE Secretariat Report
- Approval of WACE Executive Council and Directors election results
- Adjournment
Register now to attend!
If you are unable to attend the meeting and would like to vote, you may submit your proxy here.
GLOBAL CHALLENGE UPDATE
In the WACE Global Challenge student multi-disciplinary, multinational teams undertake online projects with real clients over 4 weeks to help business, government and community organisations. These projects help to identify practical ‘Shared Value’ initiatives to create social, environmental & economic value linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Over 200 students from 31 institutions and 24 countries have now participated in the WACE the Global Challenge programme with great outcomes. In addition to the great diversity of students, there is a broad range of companies from not for profits to large multinational companies from a broad range of countries involved.
Students’ feedback for the most recent Global Challenge #1 included:
- 90 % of students improved their employability skills
- 69 % increased their social and professional networks
- 84 % of students were successful at developing their chosen Global Skill
Register your institution to ensure participation in the next Global Challenge programmes.
Global Challenge # 3, January 2022:
- Programme dates: 31 January – 23 February 2022
- Expressions of interest by Institutions by 30 November 2021
Global Challenge
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
WACE INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH
SYMPOSIUM 2022 CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
The next WACE International Research Symposium will be held in Kanazawa Japan hosted by Kanazawa Institute of Technology from 31 August to 2 September 2022.
The call to abstracts is now open. Start to develop your proposal that relates to the conference theme “New industry – University collaboration initiatives to realize sustainable society _ contributions, and expectations of co-operative & work-integrated education to the Un Sustainable Development goals”. The conference will involve both face-to-face and virtual components.
More information about the submission and review process is available here.
You can keep informed about the International Research Symposium by registering your interest here.
ONLINE GLOBAL WIL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The Global WIL modules have been offered since 2015 and have covered a variety of topics. The modules are developed and delivered by representatives of four national associations: Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN); Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL formerly CAFCE); Work-Integrated Learning New Zealand (WILNZ, formerly NZACE); The Vilar Network (Sweden).
Expressions of interest are now open for the Global WIL Modules occurring in 2022:
2 May to 29 June 2022
- Dimensions of Quality for Work-Integrated Learning
- Student Engagement
To find out more about the topics and to register your interest visit here.
October – December 2022
- Learning and Assessment in Work-Integrated Learning
- Industry and Community Engagement for Work-Integrated Learning
To find out more about the topics and to register your interest visit here.
WIL GLOBAL CONVERSATIONS
The WACE WIL Global Conversations are a series of webinars on internationally relevant WIL topics. The latest WIL Global Conversation (#5) is on the hot topic of ‘Developing an entrepreneurial mindset through WIL’.
An entrepreneurial mindset is increasingly a requirement of contemporary workplaces. This webinar explored the role work-integrated learning (WIL) can play in developing and evidencing an entrepreneurial mindset and capabilities in students.
The speakers included Prof. Alon Eisenstein (Canada), Associate Professor Judith Smith (Australia), Associate Professor Sonia Ferns (Australia), Chris Jones (United Kingdom), and Professor Per Assmo (Sweden). The webinar was followed by discussions with colleagues from across the globe to explore and share ideas around enhancing students’ innovation and entrepreneurial skills.
Recordings of this and previous webinars can be accessed here.
WACE MEMBER
PROFILE
CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, FREE STATE, SOUTH AFRICA
The Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) is one of 26 public universities in South Africa that all belong to an organization named Universities South Africa (USAF). Universities are generally classified as traditional universities (offering theoretically oriented university degrees), universities of technology (offering career-focused diplomas and degrees, and of which CUT is an example), and comprehensive universities (offering a combination of both types of qualifications).
CUT has two campuses, with a total of 20,500 students, of whom 50% are enrolled in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); 1,900 staff members; and an average of 4,500 graduates per annum. All new academic programmes comprise a compulsory WIL component, which is based on clear empirical evidence that WIL students are twice as likely to be employed and ready for the world of work as students in programmes with no WIL component.
CUT has had an average of 7,000 WIL students over the past five years, which necessitated the existence of a dedicated central WIL office, comprising of a Director, four WIL Coordinators, an Administrative Officer, and a Careers Office. The section for WIL & Industry Liaison reports to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC): Teaching and Learning. The average success rate in placing eligible students for WIL is 98.7%, which enables CUT to make a meaningful contribution towards addressing challenges such as significant gaps in the skills, knowledge, and readiness for employability of higher education graduates, as well as equitable access for all qualified students to meaningful, relevant, and productive education.
Read more about WIL and Industry Liaison at CUT here.
REGIONAL NEWS
NEWS FROM WACE’S NETWORK OF PARTNERS
WACE is a network of networks and we were pleased to share news from national associations and strategic partners linked to WACE, and provide updates on developments and achievements in WIL from around the world.
AUSTRALIAN COLLABORATIVE EDUCATION
NETWORK (ACEN)
AUSTRALIAN COLLABORATIVE EDUCATION NETWORK (ACEN)
ACEN Conference 2022
Register NOW to attend the ACEN Conference Beyond 2022: Creating the future with WIL, at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre on 24 & 25 October 2022.
Secure your early bird-priced ticket before 31 December 2021.
Share your innovative WIL practices and research, meet your colleagues and global WIL friends face-to-face – With a diverse range of sessions, this is a conference not to be missed.
Presentation themes include:
- Enhancing employability through WIL,
- Innovative, scalable, and sustainable WIL,
- Delivering Quality WIL,
- Globalising WIL,
- WIL Leadership: shaping the future,
- Collaborative stakeholder engagement,
- Indigenous engagement: Building capacity through WIL,
- Diversity in WIL – Inclusive WIL Practices and Service Learning and Community Engagement.
ACEN Critical Conversations
Watch recent recordings of recent ACEN Critical Conversations – a platform for discussion around current issues facing WIL practitioners.
Wellbeing in WIL
The transition between university and work contexts can be a time of great excitement but it can also conjure many challenges for students’ wellbeing. What do students, coordinators, or university systems do to manage and support student wellbeing in WIL? Watch
WIL Quality Framework
Ensuring quality WIL programs and processes has increasingly become a significant priority for higher education institutions. In this session, we hear from the authors of the Quality WIL Framework, a practical resource designed to assist institutions to evaluate and benchmark WIL curriculum, outcomes, policies, and practices. Watch
Associate Professor Franziska Trede
President, ACEN
CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION AND WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING CANADA (CEWIL)
2021 has certainly been a year of exciting changes and transition for CEWIL Canada. With nearly 1,400 members in 120 institutions, we have continued to see immense growth in our membership and interest in work-integrated learning in Canada. For the very first time in March, we celebrated a full month of WIL and a National Day of WIL on the 4th Wednesday of March. Through our 200+ dedicated volunteers on 14+ committees and councils, we have also supported advocacy efforts on a series of WIL issues, published a special Canadian edition of IJWIL, and grew professional development to learning and development to be more inclusive. We’ve also built original Canadian WIL content in our monthly newsletter, updated our definition of WIL, accredited 7 institutions in co-op, and continued to drive member engagement through our ten thousand coffee networking platform. We’ve appointed a Special Advisor to the Board in the area of equity, diversity, and inclusion. We look forward to being launching a WIL Practitioner Certificate in early 2022.
In January 2021, CEWIL solidified a $16.3M agreement with the Government of Canada to become a funding partner on the Innovative Work-Integrated Learning Initiative (I-WIL) and create the CEWIL Innovation Hub (iHub). Since that time, CEWIL has welcomed 9 new staff members to work on strategic initiatives within the iHub and general operations. In round 1 (January-April), we have supported over 9300 individual student IWIL experiences totaling over $6.7M. The inspiring projects created through the iHub will leave a lasting impact on the entire WIL community. Click here to view an Inspiration Story.
We’ve also partnered closely with 8 Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) providers to enhance relationships and collaboration with our post-secondary members. We launched an employer and community partner toolkit dedicated to demystifying our nine types of WIL. We look forward to welcoming all WIL colleagues to a virtual conference in June 2022 under the theme “Growing the Future of WIL”. Stay tuned for more details coming.
It is an electrifying time to be part of the CEWIL community and in the WIL space in Canada and globally. For those interested, CEWIL has also launched a new podcast called “Into the WILderness”, where we discuss all things WIL. If you are keen to learn more about CEWIL Canada’s activities, please have a look at our 2020-21 Annual Report, and check out these resources below:
Charlene Marion
Director, WIL CEWIL
WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING NEW ZEALAND
(WILNZ)
Announcing WILNZ Conference 2022: Opportunities for WIL in an ever-changing world. 27-28 April 2022. Delegates will be able to attend either face-to-face in Auckland or fully online. Call for papers opening soon!
Check out our refreshed communication platforms:
Our events page showcases our Good WIL Dialogue WILNZ Webinar series and events. Register for our next webinar: Exploring the impact of WIL on the mental health of dietetics students on Tuesday 23rd November 2021, 12-1 pm (New Zealand time), facilitated by Reena Soniassy-Unkovich (Massey University).
Earlier webinars in the Good WIL Dialogue Series:
- Understanding and managing risks in WIL: A conversation on principles and practices Facilitated by Associate Professor Kathryn Hay (Massey University) and Dr. Jenny Fleming (AUT)
- Teaching Bi-Cultural Competency in a WIL Course Aukaha kia kaha” Facilitated by Professor: Jeanette King & Clare Murray, University of Canterbury
- Indigenous Employability – Facilitated by Dr. Patricia Lucas & Dr. Sally Rae, Auckland University of Technology
Congratulations to our Board member:
- Karsten Zegwaard – the new Executive Chair for the WACE International Research Community
2021 ‘Work-Integrated Learning on the Rise’ Conference proceedings are now available.
Dr. Jenny Fleming
President, WILNZ
THAI ASSOCIATION FOR COOPERATIVE
EDUCATION (TACE)
Thailand ready to reignite the CWIE Platform post-Covid
‘The CWIE Platform’, is the national grand initiative in Thailand for CWIE promotion, is a short name for the country’s roadmap for CWIE development called “The Manpower Demand-Driven Education Platform for Employability and Career Development through Cooperative and Work-Integrated Education: University-Workplace Engagement”. A brainchild of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation (MHESI), this initiative was launched in January 2020 at an MOU signing ceremony to foster and strengthen commitment and collaboration among higher education institutions, public and private sectors as well as the community to promote CWIE implementation and raise CWIE standards.
The essence of the Platform is to ask and support all the parties involved to provide an opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience through working as full-time staff in actual workplaces. This CWIE opportunity will serve as a mechanism for the enhancement of their potential and competencies to effectively meet the rising and ever-changing demands of the workforce and labour market. One way among others to achieve the goals of this Platform is the new kind of CWIE programmes which are co-designed by universities and workplaces to achieve the student learning outcomes under the programme’s standardized management system that are mutually agreed by both parties.
However, the platform’s ambitious goal to increase the total number of CWIE students two-fold from 102,510 to 205,020 within a period of five years (2020-2024) has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although CWIE placements in the country have not been reduced substantially due to the pandemic, concerns of health safety and strict preventive measures have kept the quantity and certain aspects of quality of placements below the expected plan.
Now, the COVID situation has very much improved. Everyone in the country is ready for the acceleration of CWIE provision to achieve the CWIE platform target. The much-affected international CWIE plans and activities will be revived and re-energized for our students to become competent manpower for the world, too.
Professor Dr. Issra Pramoolsook
TACE
SCHOLARSHIP OF
WIL
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WIL
A Special Issue (Volume 22, 2021, Issue #3) of the International Journal of WILhas been released. The edition is focused on the practice and research of cooperative education and work-integrated learning in the Canadian context. The lead editor for this special edition was Dr. Judene Pretti, in collaboration with guest editor Associate Professor Ashley Stirling.
There are 12 articles within the edition and they can all be accessed here. Topics covered include:
- Exploring diversity and inclusion in work-integrated learning: An ecological model approach
- Understanding barriers to engagement in an unpaid field placement: Applying the transtheoretical stages of behaviour change model
- Students with disabilities: Relationship between participation rates and perceptions of work-integrated learning by disability type
- Developing and delivering a culturally relevant international work-integrated learning exchange for Indigenous students
- Employers perspectives about hiring students from international pathways
- Improving engagement of interns and employers with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals
- Letting your students fail: Overcoming failure experiences in undergraduate work-integrated learning
- Development and validation of a future-ready talent framework
- Re-designing work-study as work-integrated learning: Examining the impact of structured learning support in part-time on-campus employment
- Undergraduate research opportunities in Canadian higher education: An initial study
- Supervised entrepreneurial work-integrated learning
- Microcredentials and work-integrated learning
To receive notification of other IJWIL publications, please go to the IJWIL website, click on ‘notifications’ at the top right, and enter your details.
WIL RESOURCES
A new resource for WIL that may be of assistance globally is the recently released National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) funded research conducted by The University of Sydney, Australia, in collaboration with the USA organization, Virtual Student Federal Service.
Participation in in-person placement forms of WIL by students from equity cohorts has been well known to be encumbered due to the students’ capacity time pressures, financial constraints, caring commitments, and geographical location. This report explores the benefits and challenges of online WIL for equity cohorts as a possible solution to leveling the playing field.
The full report is available here.
SHARE YOUR NEWS
Do you have something you would like to share? A resource, some news, an award or achievement? Would you like to sponsor a WACE event? If so, please contact the Judie Kay, Vice Chair WACE Partnerships and Programs via: programspartnershipsvc@waceinc.org
