benefits of work integrated learning education

benefits of work integrated learning education While reviewing the literature on the subject of the impact of the Hospitality Curriculum at the Durban University of Technology on Work Integrated Learning. The researcher believes that one needs to deal with the issues separately, that is the issue of Work Integrated Learning firstly and then the issue of the Curriculum at the Durban University of Technology .The chapter reviews literature that is based on the above mentioned issues and it has been divided into different sections. The sections start to talk about Work Integrated Learning in general explaining what it is about and then goes on to talk about the history of Work Integrated Learning and how it was founded. The next idea deals with the importance of Work Integrated Learning, it is then followed by the Work Integrated Learning process and the next section talks about the benefits of Work Integrated Learning. The next area starts talking about the Hospitality Management curriculum at the Durban University of Technology a nd it goes into the next section which discusses the Work Integrated Learning process used at the Durban University of Technology. The trainees experience Work Integrated Learning is dealt with here and then it show the ideal Work Integrated Learning experience for a in service trainee. The next sections talks about Hospitality and leads on to the next section which gives an overview of the Hospitality Industry. The last section discusses the Hospitality Management Programs at different universities and institutions. 2.2.1 Work Integrated Learning (Cooperative education) According to Poppins and Singh (2005) Work Integrated Learning is referred to as an internship program by many people and it provides the learner with real life learning experiences. Work Integrated Learning is included in many academic programs and universities not only in South Africa ,but all over the world. There are many names that Work Integrated Learning is referred to and some of the names are internships, s andwich year, workplace learning and cooperative education. Work Integrated Learning can be defined when a student that is doing a tertiary degree program has a period in time where they undergo professional work in their field of study. It is said that by providing students with real life experiences it is one of the best methods to prepare the students for their future career. Similarly, Schuetze and Sweet(2003) state that there are debates whether the universities and colleges teach graduates the knowledge and skills relevant to work in a knowledge based economy. There are high demands on universities to provide and supply both highly trained workers. To meet their objectives universities have developed alternative strategies to prepare young people for work life and one of these strategies used is Cooperative Education which is also known as Work Integrated Learning. (Suskie, 2009:124) suggests that when students start Work Integrated Learning it is very important that they deve lop their goals and information should be collected by students on their goals from internal and external resources. The internal resources can be a college or universities, mission statement, vision statement and the experiences of recent graduates can be internal resources also. External resources can be goals of the industry, surveys or interviews of current employees. Nipson(2000) states that Work Integrated Learning has introduced the adult world of work to students and it has been described as a learning plan where students earn and with this the students can graduate with the knowledge and experience to be successful in their careers that await them. There are certain environments that support Work Integrated Learning and each of these environments should support a learner or a teacher and also provide support for interactions between the two for learning purposes. According to Wynn(2000) employers can reap many rewards from Work Integrated Learning as it is a less expensive means of recruiting and looking for future employees. It also reduces the cost of keeping existing employees and employers can evaluate the students without making a long term commitment to them.