Work-integrated learning builds student identification of employability skills: Utilizing a food literacy education strategy

© 2020 International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning. All rights reserved. Enterprising students who understand the work environment are considered more employable. It is accepted that higher-education has a responsibility to produce career-ready-graduates. Practicum experience provides a critical role in this preparation. This study describes the development and implementation of the WIL instrument and WIL experience to assess the perceived skill development of students (n=19). This research utilized three data capture points; 1) employability skills cluster matrix-self-assessment tool (ESCM-SAT), 2) industry feedback from supervisors to develop a deeper understanding of the value of WIL; 3) students used the Gibbs reflective cycle (Gibbs 1988). There were improvements in all skills clusters, main gains were in career management (p \u3c 0.01). Supervisor feedback gave direction for improvement for; communication, preparation and organization skills. Student reflection suggests career management skills were strengthened, confidence increased, as did their value of academics. The ESCM-SAT, industry feedback and student reflection were deemed a suitable combination to measure the WIL experiences from a student perspective