9 Fantastic Benefits of Work Integrated Learning

Sponsored by Universidad Tecmilenio

In today’s world, university is about more than just earning a degree. It’s also about getting yourself prepared for the big world of employment awaiting you after graduation.

But how are you supposed to do that while juggling exams, essays, presentations, group projects, a part-time job, socializing and everything else that a student does?

One innovative solution is work integrated learning (WIL). Work integrated learning is a learning development program that’s specifically integrated into your degree curriculum and which counts towards your final qualification.

It’s gaining momentum in the world of higher education as universities collaborate and liaise with businesses to set up bespoke job roles specifically for students which enable them to gain invaluable workplace experience and apply what they’ve learnt in their studies to the job. 

At the Universidad Tecmilenio, for example, every degree program offers work integrated learning, and has so far been considered a real success. To find out more about work integrated learning and the benefits it brings, we spoke to four students from the Universidad Tecmilenio who have done just that.

Getting out of the lecture hall and into a genuine workplace environment is no doubt a refreshing change for a start.

Joselin Alejandra Eras Sánchez, who studies industrial engineering, is undertaking her work integrated learning within the pharmaceutical industry.

“The opportunity to work here is incredible. The environment and the company is seeking to grow people and professionals, so I’m pleased with the activities and assignments they’re giving me, no matter how big or little they are,” she said.

Work integrated learning ultimately exposes you to a diverse learning experience that can’t be formulated in the classroom alone, and therefore has a genuine positive impact on students. By strengthening the overall experience, work integrated learning enables students to understand how they can apply what they’ve learnt in their degree into a practical setting.

You may have a good idea of what the workplace is like thanks to your part-time job as a waiter/waitress at your local café or restaurant, or as a retail assistant in a clothes store. But to have the opportunity to get really stuck in in a job, in an industry where you aspire to work after graduating, is something else. 

Luis Daniel Rojas López, an industrial engineering student told us how they think the work integrated learning experience has benefited them both personally and professionally.

“Having work experience while studying helped me to understand the concepts I've learned in the classroom and see them applied in real scenarios.

“It also helped me to become more responsible, understanding that every decision has a consequence.

“Another advantage is that it helped me understand why the teamwork that we practiced every day in class is important as it is relatable to the way organizations work.”

Working to learn is learning to work. Work integrated learning will allow you to gain a good grasp of basic work capabilities and a plethora of both soft and technical skills that you wouldn’t necessarily develop without working in a professional setting.

“It has been a very full filing experience for me,” said Andrea Alejandra Ponce de León Barba who studies marketing.

“This semester in particular has given me the opportunity to learn on the go by putting into practice everything I've learned at school.

“It's a fun way to learn, and the fact that a company supports and mentors you on your way to entering the world of work is unique. The knowledge we get from this kind of learning is something no book can give us.”