Quality Assuring Work Integrated Learning

This practical guide, published by WWF South Africa in 2017, provides host employers with a framework for quality assuring Work Integrated Learning (WIL) for student interns in the biodiversity and environment sector. It outlines the entire internship lifecycle, from preparing the organization and recruiting students to mentoring, induction, assessment, and monitoring and evaluation.

• Quality Work Integrated Learning is characterized by a 'right fit' where workplace experience complements academic learning. A recommended benchmark for task allocation is 25% for support tasks, such as administration, and 75% for work related to the student's curriculum and functional area.
• Host employers should evaluate their readiness to host interns based on several factors, including mentoring capacity, available office space, financial resources for stipends and operational costs, and the ability to meet specific curriculum requirements.
• The recruitment and selection process for biodiversity interns can involve multiple stages: initial recruitment via universities or media, first-round shortlisting based on high-level criteria (e.g., age 15-35 and unemployment), second-round shortlisting for specific placement fit and proficiencies (e.g., driver's licenses), and final interviews using standardized questions.
• A comprehensive induction process for interns should cover five levels: the specific placement, the work function, the unit or directorate, the overall organization, and the broader context of working for biodiversity.
• Mentoring is defined as a developmental relationship focused on professional practice. It can be delivered through one-on-one models, group mentoring (which allows for peer mentoring), or networks of multiple mentors to provide a broader scope of experience.
• Assessment of WIL is a shared responsibility: universities manage the summative assessment and framework; students document evidence of learning; and host employers provide formative assessment through monitoring, supervision, and feedback.
• To evidence growth and development, the guide suggests using portfolios of evidence which may include log books, daily or weekly journals, photographs of work in different contexts, site visit reports, and PowerPoint presentations.

APA

Raven, G. (2017). Quality Assuring Work Integrated Learning. WWF South Africa. http://awsassets.wwf.org.za/downloads/work_integrated_learning.pdf

Chicago

Raven, Glenda. Quality Assuring Work Integrated Learning. WWF South Africa, 2017. http://awsassets.wwf.org.za/downloads/work_integrated_learning.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Raven |first1=Glenda |title=Quality Assuring Work Integrated Learning |publisher=WWF South Africa |date=2017 |url=http://awsassets.wwf.org.za/downloads/work_integrated_learning.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{raven2017quality, author = {Raven, Glenda}, title = {{Quality Assuring Work Integrated Learning}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2017}, url = {http://awsassets.wwf.org.za/downloads/work_integrated_learning.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }