A pedagogical model of higher education/industry engagement for enhancing employability and professional practice

This paper reports on the development to date of a pedagogical model of higher education/industry engagement aimed at enhancing employability and professional practice in selected built environment disciplines. In particular, it focuses on the conceptualisation informing the development of the model; a model in which work integrated learning (WIL) plays a significant role. In the discussion, specific attention is given to the nature of professional knowledge and the role and responsibilities of academia and practice in the development of this knowledge. From a collaborative, transformative stakeholder (Orrell, 2004) frame of reference, the paper proposes a conceptual framework based on Boyer's integration of scholarship (1999) where, for this project, teaching, learning, research and application are understood to be integrally entwined at an undergraduate, not just post graduate level. In all, the paper makes a contribution through its consideration of 'practice', 'pedagogy' and 'partnership' as mutually inclusive concepts central to the issue of employability and the continuing relevance of professional education