Work Placements in Vocational Education and Training Courses

📖 The Scoop

The literature on work placements in education and training courses and current Australian practice related to work placements was reviewed. The review focused on the school, university, and vocational education and training (VET) sectors. The following major issues were considered: lack of a common name and common body of literature; purposes of work placements; benefits of work placements; learning; integration into the curriculum; assessment; finding and keeping host employers; resourcing; challenges for students; practices promoting effective work placements; and access and equity issues. The review established that, although the literature on work placements is extensive, it tends to be sector-specific, discipline-related, mostly positive and uncritical, and focused on administrative practicalities rather than on issues such as learning, cultural tensions, and roles and identifies. The greatest volume of literature dealt with the university sector; the VET sector received the least attention. Many critical challenges in work placements, including resourcing, professional development, tensions between workplace and provider cultures, variations in quality of workplace learning environments, and equity in access were highlighted. Much of the literature was found to be predicated on seven commonly held assumptions. Thirteen areas requiring further research were identified along with 20 implications for practitioners, policymakers, and providers. (Contains 116 references.) (MN)

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