Updated: 23 October 2026
What is Work-Integrated Learning (WIL)?
Work-integrated learning (WIL) is an educational approach where students develop employability skills through authentic industry experiences embedded in their degree. Known as work-based learning (WBL) in the UK, WIL includes industry projects, placements, and virtual internships that connect study with professional practice. The term work-integrated learning (WIL) describes purposeful and supervised learning programs and activities that connect university students with real-world work experiences with an industry or community partner in their field of study. WIL is all about integrating what you study in the classroom with its workplace application. Explore how WIL and WBL are used in Australia and the UK. In Australia the term is defined in national guidance from TEQSA and by WIL Australia, the national WIL body, and it is widely described as an umbrella term for approaches that integrate theory with the practice of work within a purposefully designed curriculum (Patrick et al., The WIL Report, 2008). WIL opportunities and activities are linked with one or more study courses, formally assessed, and applied as a credit towards your study program. For course design and assessment requirements, see our guide to credit-bearing industry experience. WIL allows students to engage in real-world work experiences that support their preparedness for employment. The benefits include the opportunity to apply knowledge in practice, build professional networks, and enhance employability. For employers, it creates opportunities for staff training, meeting potential work candidates, and getting fresh input on projects.Types of WIL
Work placements
Work placements (also sometimes called clinical placements, internships, or practicums) allow students to engage in authentic, supervised work tasks during time spent within an organisation. For example, a physiotherapy student might complete a placement within a teaching hospital. They enable students to apply academic knowledge and develop professional competencies.Industry projects
These involve university students working, either individually or as a group, to deliver on a project brief for a community or industry partner. For example, a group of information technology students might work on an IT company’s brief to research and develop a client’s network solution. Students get to apply theoretical knowledge to authentic scenarios, plus develop skills such as client communication, project management, and collaborative working. See how AI-ready authentic assessment can make students’ judgement and responsible AI use visible in these projects.
Work simulations
In situations where real-world work experience may not be possible or carry too much risk, work simulations enable students to apply their academic learning in an environment designed to approximate the real one as closely as possible. These activities usually involve using industry-specific activities, technology or equipment in a way that simulates the work environment’s complexities. Examples include university law students practising in moot courts and trainee pilots using flight simulators.Mentoring
This approach allows a student or group of students to build skills by partnering with an industry or community mentor. For example, a communications student might enter a mentoring relationship with a working journalist. Students can benefit from their mentor’s workplace experience, practical knowledge, and feedback about their performance.The benefits of work-integrated learning – for students
Work-integrated learning has a plethora of benefits for students. Just some of them include:- The opportunity to apply your hard-won academic learning to real-world work scenarios
- Building relationships with potential employers and industry colleagues
- Enhancing your resume with evidence of authentic work experience
- The chance to explore your chosen field and clarify your direction
- Developing valued workplace skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, project management and professional communication
- The opportunity to better understand a workplace’s culture
- A portfolio of work to show potential employers
- A deepened understanding of your future career and its real-world requirements.
What are the benefits of work-integrated learning to the employer?
Students aren’t the only people to benefit from WIL. For employers, advantages include:- The opportunity to upskill employees
- Building networks with industry and community partners and training organisations
- The chance to meet, identify and attract leading graduate talent
- Engaging teams of eager, knowledgeable students for work projects
- Giving back to your industry or profession.
What does the evidence say about Work-Integrated Learning?
Work-integrated learning is now a mainstream part of Australian higher education, and the evidence on outcomes points to one clear lesson: the quality and relevance of the experience matter more than the number of students placed. How many students take part Universities Australia’s first national survey of WIL, Career Ready Graduates (2019), found that 451,263 students took part in 555,403 WIL activities across Australian universities in 2017. Work placements made up 43% of activities, industry projects 23%, industry simulations 13% and fieldwork 10%. The same report found that 91% of Australians say work placements are important to prepare students for a job after they graduate. What it does for graduate outcomes Research on Australian graduates shows WIL is not a shortcut to a job on its own. A study by Jackson and Collings, published in Higher Education in 2018, compared two samples of graduates (628 and 237) and found that taking part in WIL did not by itself increase full-time employment rates, but there was some evidence that it leads to higher quality, more relevant employment in both the short and long term. That is why universities increasingly focus on authentic briefs, structured feedback and reflection rather than simply counting placements. What the regulator expects When WIL is part of a course of study, it falls under the Higher Education Standards Framework. TEQSA, the national regulator, publishes a guidance note on work-integrated learning that sets out what it expects of providers, including how WIL is designed, supported and assessed. Practera programme outcomes The Study Australia Industry Experience Program (SAIEP) brings international and domestic students from different Australian institutions together in teams to work on real industry projects for two weeks. In its 2021 pilot, 219 students from 10 universities took part; 91% of students and 87% of industry clients said they would recommend it. The following cohort, in November and December 2021, grew to more than 620 students from 27 institutions.How to get involved in work-integrated learning
Delivering WIL with Practera: For Universities
Most universities want every student to have a WIL experience. The hard part is doing it at scale: sourcing enough industry partners, supporting students without adding to academic workload, and making sure regional, international and equity cohorts get the same quality of experience as everyone else. Practera works with universities to deliver industry projects, virtual work experience and team-based challenges that sit inside the curriculum and count toward assessment. Universities choose how much they want to run themselves:- Fully managed: Practera sources industry partners, runs the programme and supports students, with academic oversight from the university.
- Co-delivered: faculty facilitate, and Practera provides the platform, industry partners and coaching support.
Employers
Practera helps employers develop the skills and capabilities of their teams while enhancing workflows and engaging with the upcoming generation of university candidates. Our platform can connect your company with students eager to gain experience through real-world industry projects, internships and experiences.Government
For government agencies, Practera can partner with you to build industry and education system collaborations. Our programs support the upskilling and reskilling of workers and helps you identify and attract top graduate talent.Work Integrated Learning via remote learning
Organising work integrated learning (WIL) projects has become more difficult in a socially distanced world by necessitating a shift to virtual delivery. The Practera platform addresses this issue by ensuring virtual WIL can still take place with a high level of quality. With our managed services, we can help connect your students with industry leaders today, with continuous support throughout their programs with a dedicated program manager. A vital component of successful WIL opportunities involves providing students with the chance to reflect on their learning experiences. Practera’s experiential learning programs have inbuilt feedback loops designed by industry, peers and educators and backed by research. These are delivered at key moments to help drive critical reflection and deeper learning. This key ingredient helps university students gain employability skills such as creativity and resilience, and ensures their virtual learning makes them ready for real-life careers.
