Companies should support work-integrated learning

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is crucial for students to secure internships and graduate on schedule.

Both private and government organisations should provide students with opportunities to immerse themselves in workplace environments.

The essence of WIL, tailored to each course, is to afford students the chance to apply the knowledge and skills garnered in their academic pursuits to real-world scenarios during internships.

They should actively engage in practical business or small to medium enterprise settings pertinent to their field of study, augmenting their classroom-acquired expertise.

Through project involvement and assigned tasks, students gain valuable insights into their future professional domains.

Government intervention, through a policy mandating organisations to host a specified number of interns annually, would facilitate practical learning experiences for students, ensuring timely graduation and industry readiness.

WIL ought to be a compulsory component of every student’s curriculum.

The advantages of WIL extend to both students and employers.

It furnishes students with hands-on experience in their chosen fields, enabling them to translate theoretical knowledge into practical application, thereby honing a spectrum of skills encompassing technical expertise and soft skills, like communication, teamwork, problem solving, and time management.

Collaborations between educational institutions and industry partners underpin WIL programmes, offering students networking avenues and potential employment opportunities.

Participation in WIL enhances a student’s employability, showcasing their practical competencies and aptitudes to prospective employers.

Engaging in real-world tasks bolsters students’ confidence and self-esteem, correlating with improved academic performance.

Employers, in turn, stand to benefit from the influx of motivated interns who inject fresh perspectives, ideas and skills into their organisations.

WIL serves as a talent pool, allowing employers to identify and groom potential recruits, while offering a cost-effective avenue for talent acquisition and development.

In essence, WIL serves as a vital bridge between academia and the workforce, mutually benefiting students, employers, and educational institutions.

Organisations are encouraged to embrace WIL students, recognising their potential as the future workforce and providing support throughout their educational journey.

• * Moses Waiganjo is a senior lecturer/WIL coordinator at the Namibia University of Science and Technology’s Department of Governance and Management. He is reachable at onmwaiganjo@nust.na