THE HELP IS HELPFUL: SOMATOLOGY STUDENTS’ REFLECTIONS ON WORK INTEGRATED LEARNING

Producing work-ready graduates has become one of the most significant and urgent mandates of South African higher education institutions (HEIs) due to the declining economic indicators and concerns about inexperienced graduates. Since, somatology is an inherently vocational programme, the learning modules in which knowledge and skills are acquired during theory lectures and practical sessions, should be complemented with a well-structured authentic learning within work-based contexts.

This qualitative paper explores somatology students’ experiences and perceptions regarding the impact of work integrated learning (WIL) in equipping them with the requisite industry competencies likely to render them employable and enable them to add value in their jobs. To this end, a case study was conducted using interview focus groups of second and third year somatology students.

Students reported varying positive and negative implementation practices of WIL within the institution (in-house) and outside in industry. The students’ perception is that WIL in both environments facilitates transferability of learning into work-contexts. They consider in-industry training as much more pressurised, owing to the demands to meet employer and client expectations. These exigencies of the workplace enable the students to reassess their knowledge and skills; whereas, in-house WIL is more relaxed, providing adequate supervision, with students receiving assistance when necessary.

The noted inadequate students’ supervision in industry and lack of collaborative service-level agreements between the institution and industry may however, lead one to question the extent to which the somatology department at the institution can authenticate student learning in work contexts.