Will or wont WIL survive in South Africas new Higher Education Qualifications Framework

1
Will or wont WIL survive in South Africas new
Higher Education Qualifications Framework?

• Mrs Susanne Taylor
• (University of Johannesburg, South Africa)
• Dr Marius Wessels and Adv Omar Khan
• (Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa)

2
Brief overview

• HEQF statement
• Legal view
• Current HEI interpretation
• WIL and placements - the issues
• Current practice at HEIs
• The dilemma of international students
• What should HEIs do?
• Way forward

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The Higher Education Qualifications Framework
(HEQF) statement

• Work Integrated Learning (Government Notice, No
  928 5 October 2007)
• Some qualifications will be designed to
  incorporate periods of required work that
  integrates with classroom study. Where Work
  Integrated Learning (WIL) is a structured part of
  a qualification the volume of learning allocated
  to WIL should be appropriate to the purpose of
  the qualification and to the cognitive demands of
  the learning outcome and assessment criteria
  contained in the appropriate level
• descriptors.
• It is the responsibility of institutions, which
  offer programmes requiring WIL credits to place
  students into WIL programmes. Such programmes
  must be appropriately structured, properly
  supervised and assessed.
• WIL mentioned for the first time in a DoE
  document ?
• HEIs have always assisted in this regard, but the
  onus was placed on the student to secure a
  placement !
• The HEQF puts the responsibility of HEIs in black
  and white legal implications ?

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Legal view

• Common intention of parties to a contract
• Interpretation of the common intention
• Interpretation begins in the words/language
• Clear in the case of the HEQF! Responsibility to
  place students
• HEIs Legal duty
• Failure to comply student can litigate
• HEIs bear burden of placement no obligation on
  student
• Surrounding factors would be taken into account
  before such a breach could be impinged on the HEI
• Which HEI offers to be the test case?!!!

5
Current Higher Education Institution (HEI)
interpretation

• HEIs usually have a clause that reads ... It
  remains the responsibility of the student to
  secure an EL/WIL placement.
• The HEQF changes this!
• HEIs have interpreted the WIL statement as
• If we can show that we have an enrolment
  management programme, that we prepare students
  for WIL, have a WIL coordinators (supported by a
  Co-op Unit), a range of well maintained industry
  contacts, that we facilitate student-industry
  contacts etc etc then weve done what we could.
• But its the legal view that counts and it
  appears as if the entire onus is on the HEIs,
  quite removed from the practical reality of being
  able to provide placements

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WIL and placements the issues

• WIL has three main role players
• HEI enrolment management, registration and
  fees, preparation of students for industry,
  timing of placements and report submission,
  staffing and funding, marketing into industry
• Industry cannot force companies to take on a
  student (seek academic excellence), can benefit
  from NSDS (grants and rebates), international
  students, supervision/mentorship, timing of
  selection/ interviews
• Student - poorly prepared, dont register/pay
  fees, poor academic records, dont pass company
  skills/psychometric tests, lack of interpersonal/
  presentation/ interview skills, picky (!), CVs
  not up to scratch, international students, dont
  hand in logbooks, extend WIL (as theyre being
  remunerated), break contracts (job hop)
• Academic staff are supported by the Co-op Units
  and SASCE
• and their industry partners!

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The current practice at HEIs

• Enrolment management trends/ funding/ industry
  needs
• Industry contacts - Market/PR
• Prepare students job search skills, CV writing,
  interview, dress for success, presentation skills
  etc Host company visits/industry days
• Post up opportunities/ assist in selection and
  arrange interviews facilitate recruitment
• Interact with Department of Labour and national
  skills initiatives etc

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The dilemma of international students

• SADC Protocol thus a SA HEI responsibility
• Industry and general lack of knowledge re
  legislation
• Job permit vs. Study permit (allowing WIL and 20
  hrs of work per week)
• Company participation policy to employ/train
  only SA citizens
• SA National Skills Development Strategy
  companies get SETA grants and rebate for training
  but only for SA citizens
• Cooperative Education and departmental special
  interventions required
• Home country agreements for WIL/SA vs. home
  country placement
• Enrolment management/ agreements with
  international governments
• Refugee status/asylum seekers vs. international
  students on study permit
• Xenophobia!

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What should HEIs do?

• Better selection?
• Stricter progression rules?
• Better preparation of students for the workplace?
• Better record keeping as proof of preparation/
  introduction to companies etc?
• International student home country agreements/ no
  international WIL students? (SADC Protocol!)
• Register student for WIL programmes only if they
  have a placement? (BA model/ Learnerships?)
• Drop the WIL component from programmes?
  (Australia including WIL in all its offerings!)
• Wait and see legal test case (loss of
  earnings)?
• ?????????????????????????????????????????

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Way forward

• HEIs cannot afford to wait and see - clarity is
  needed
• Curriculum design implications is the HEQF
  ringing the death knell of WIL? Engineering
  diplomas dropping WIL in curriculum redesign!
• DoE to be requested for a national
  interpretation a common understanding and
  application
• SASCE to be mandated to lobby the Minister of
  Education via HESA/SATN for such in process
• More research to determine what happens
  internationally in this regard this conference
  a start
• DoL/ Industry to come to the party? Included in
  the NSDS 2010-2015? SASCE to approach the DoL?
  BA model? Closer HEI Industry ties?

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Any suggestions/ideas?
?
WIL deserves to survive South Africas HEQF!
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Thank you!

• Susanne Taylor
• staylor_at_uj.ac.za