WIL workshops – Faculty planning

The ACDS is pleased to announce its series of WIL Planning workshops for Faculties of Science. These workshops aim to help Faculties develop work-integrated learning programs that improve graduate employability and learning outcomes. The workshops will be repeated in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane by the ACDS WIL in Science project.

Growing WIL in Science is a national target endorsed by the ACDS and the Office of the Chief Scientist. In 2015, studies commissioned by the Office of the Chief Scientist showed that WIL programs were much less common in science degrees than parallel programs in engineering, ICT and agriculture, and that employers were looking for better relationships with Faculties to collaborate on WIL. At the same time, Universities Australia, the Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN) and industry groups produced the national WIL statement which called for better and expanded use of work-integrated learning to orient and prepare graduates for future careers.

However, growing WIL is not a simple task. Recent OLT projects have described the challenges in developing effective WIL programs. The WIL in Science project initiated the WIL Lighthouse projects to create case studies for Science that illustrate the journey towards comprehensive and systematic engagement with WIL. The WIL in Science workshops build on these experiences to help participants create a tailored approach to developing WIL for their Faculty.

Starting from where you are, these workshops will help you to:

plan your faculty approach to WIL
review enablers: systems, people and resources
develop new ideas building from Lighthouse projects.

The half-day workshops are designed for Faculty WIL leaders, Faculty TL leaders, WIL specialists and interested Science teachers.