Jackson, Denise. “Employability Skill Development In Work-Integrated Learning: Barriers And Best Practice.” Studies in Higher Education 40, no. 2 (2014): 350-367.The article examines the importance of Work- Integrated Learning (WIL) and the benefits that this arrangement brings forth. The article drew its findings from a survey involving 131 undergraduates from Australia and drawn from different fields of study. The aim of the survey is to establish the effectiveness of WIL in developing the skills of learners in preparation for real experiences in their respective occupations. The author goes ahead to acknowledge the fundamental role that WIL plays in impacting the necessary expertise and knowledge to students thus making them better prepared for the job market. The article also points out to the fact the majority of the learners that participated in the survey preferred knowledge acquisition firsthand from the field as opposed to a classroom setting. However, in for as much as the author advocates for the adaptation of WIL into the university curriculum, he cautions against completely pulling down the traditional method of skill acquisition. The author bears the thought that WIL can be used to complement the existing system so as to come up with properly baked graduates from universities across the world. Lastly, while the article is useful to guiding one on the correct application of WIL for best results, it has a limitation in that; the survey carried out was only done in one university in Australia. This, in turn, means that the findings are based on data collected from a particular region of the world only and may not reflect what the rest of the world thinks about the issue. Therefore, it is possible that all the findings and way forward as per the article may not be applied world over.

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Wilton, Nick. “The Impact Of Work Placements On Skills Development And Career Outcomes For Business And Management Graduates.” Studies in Higher Education 37, no. 5 (2012): 603-620.
The article seeks to evaluate the value work placement has on the career paths that undergraduates in the business world take in their future lives. It points out that there are benefits accrued to work placement, from which the students who undergo the system are bound to gain. These advantages are: becoming a more confident person owing to the feeling of being acquainted with the workplace; and a development of skills necessary to be a successful employee. Theories in this article are strongly supported by known authors who note that graduates who took part in a sandwiched work placement program during their studies are likely to be employed six months after graduation. The language that the article uses is understandable, and data are supporting arguments has been arranged well. This allows for the article to be read by a wider audience and thus proving to be a helpful piece when researching in this field. The author’s ability to pick a simple diction makes the article come out strongly in the attempt to assess the effectiveness that work placement has on individuals who undertake degree programs that assume this arrangement. For as much as the article is supportive of the Work Integrated Learning system, the author is mindful of the fact that not all learners favor taking this route since there are those that disregard placement of work programs so as to accelerate the time with which they can enter the work world.

Brundiers, Katja, Arnim Wiek, and Charles L. Redman. “Real‐World Learning Opportunities In Sustainability: From Classroom Into The Real World.” International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 11, no. 4 (2010): 308-324.
This article seeks to establish the kind of competencies required in the job market for an employer to remain relevant as well as examine the extent to which these competencies can be learned from the field of practice. The author outlines the benefits that come with a real-world learning program by pointing out skills that a learner can acquire. These include; increased creativity and ability to solve problems as well as being able to put into practice what has been learned. The article goes a step further to give the steps to be followed for a successful WIL to take place. The steps include collaborative design, coordination, and integration which according to the author are the pillars of a successful program under WIL. The article has a limitation. Nonetheless, this is the fact that the approach adopted by this article may not be as practical as it may seem. Opportunities to learn in the real world often need a deliberate yet precise arrangement so as to meet the desired outcome, most universities lacks the ability to create such environments and thus making the achievement of the target goal blurred. The article agrees that learning opportunities from the real world can go in tandem with competencies for sustainability but again acknowledges the fact that it is not a guarantee that students will automatically learn from such environments.

Freudenberg, Brett, Mark Brimble, and Craig Cameron. “WIL And Generic Skill Development: The Development Of Business Students’ Generic Skills Through Work-Integrated Learning.” Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education 12, no. 2 (2011): 79-93.
The article focuses on a professional development program (PD), and the effect in has on the attributes of learners. The author specifically focuses on generic skills by seeking to disambiguate the different notions that are associated with the term. The article goes ahead to break down what is meant by ‘generic skills’ and put it as a set of abilities showcased by an individual that have the capability to grow and to be applied in many fields. The article recognizes the fact that the full potential of WIL has not been achieved despite its benefits being known. Proper use of data representation skills such as tabulation, graphs, and charts make the article easy to follow as well as understandable. A simple language, as well as explanations to break down information as presented in graphs and tables, makes the article one of the best sources of information in this field. Therefore, there is a need for implementers of the system to take the correct steps so as to realize the goal meant to be achieved by the program for the good of both students, employers and the job industry. The article concludes by pointing out the limitation that could affect its findings in the future; the limitation is that the data collected for analysis was from a section of the school and not the whole school as it would be expected. However, the author points out to the fact that a team of researchers is still engaged in collecting data from the rest of the cohort so as to help conjure a more conclusive and accurate information about the effect WIL has on the attribute of learners.

Nealy, Chynette. “Integrating Soft Skills Through Active Learning In The Management Classroom.” Journal of College Teaching & Learning (TLC) 2, no. 4 (2011): 1-6.
The article covers a discussion on how active learning can be applied in the development of soft skills required by employers in the current work market. The author draws findings from course material that was designed to meet the current needs of the job market. There is a keen focus in the examination of the rise in demand for soft skills from both businesses and the industry as a whole. The article agrees with the fact that WIL plays a fundamental role in the making of skilled individuals as technocrats in diverse fields. The author uses a conversational tone as well as a simple diction to develop his standpoint is as much as the importance of WIL in teaching at the university level is concerned. The article covers the discussion of the pivotal role that a work-integrated learning system plays so well that it convinces one into agreeing backed up with evidence. By analyzing how to teach soft skills in the classroom, Nealy brings about the concept of creating and imagined a real world without having to go outside the class. In turn, this makes learning much effective as compared to trying making the learners acquire soft skills purely through theory.

    References
  • Brundiers, Katja, Arnim Wiek, and Charles L. Redman. “Real‐World Learning Opportunities In Sustainability: From Classroom Into The Real World.” International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 11, no. 4 (2010): 308-324.
  • Freudenberg, Brett, Mark Brimble, and Craig Cameron. “WIL And Generic Skill Development: The Development Of Business Students’ Generic Skills Through Work-Integrated Learning.” Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education 12, no. 2 (2011): 79-93.
  • Nealy, Chynette. “Integrating soft skills through active learning in the management classroom.” Journal of College Teaching & Learning (TLC) 2, no. 4 (2011)
  • Jackson, Denise. “Employability Skill Development In Work-Integrated Learning: Barriers And Best Practice.” Studies in Higher Education 40, no. 2 (2014): 350-367.
  • Wilton, Nick. “The Impact Of Work Placements On Skills Development And Career Outcomes For Business And Management Graduates.” Studies in Higher Education 37, no. 5 (2012): 603-620.