Ara’s innovation in Work-Integrated Learning showcased

Ara staff members who attended the 2025 Work Integrated Learning (WIL) conference returned with fresh insights and a strong reassurance that their innovative approaches are among the best in the sector.

In all, 100 delegates attended the April event held at Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) in Taradale. The conference covered diverse topics, from the use of AI in the sector to the challenges of securing student placements and evolving models for authentic work experiences.

As a gold sponsor, Ara received two full free conference registrations, which were taken up by academics Dianne Hudson (Department of Health Practice) and Joanna Cobley (Department of Applied Sciences and Social Practice). They both presented case studies, as did (Department of Engineering and Architectural Studies) academics Bernadette Muir and Dr Adam Khan who also attended.

Cobley attended for personal development and also presented a paper on a whānau-based approach to WIL, introduced by her team in 2024 for students in the Level 4 Certificate in Health and Wellbeing.

“Our study was with students who, for various reasons, actively engaged in client work for family members and went on to report highly successful experiences. We were able to share student feedback which illustrated how they felt enriched by the experience personally and professionally,” she said.

Cobley said she came away with other new and interesting insights into WIL from all over the motu.

“Participants had the chance to talk through our shared challenges, such as securing enough placements for all students. But we also heard case studies of the level of innovation being called on to create authentic alternative placement opportunities.”

One standout example came from an Auckland-based business school, which developed an entire module replicating workplace practices in-house, with industry oversight ensuring credible learning experiences.

Cobley noted that WIL is expanding beyond traditional placements to include community-integrated learning and volunteering, adapting to the growing demand.

She said the conference consensus was that WIL works and the solution to challenges was to continue innovating.

“Our healthy challenge is to encourage students to be open to the wide range of fantastic integrated learning experiences on offer.

The Certificate in Health and Wellbeing experience is due to be written up in a research paper in the near future.

Cobley noted that Dianne Hudson and her department of Health Practice colleagues had employed similar research methods in their study into the experience of telehealth as a clinical placement for student nurses.

“We have shown that small quantitative studies can produce rich results,” she said.

“There was a lot of endorsement for Ara's approaches at the conference and, overall, I was reassured about the WIL processes we follow. Everyone, no matter the level, subject or qualification, has difficulty finding placements, and the challenge grows each year as student enrolments increase.”

The conference also reminded Cobley of the true value of the “community of practice” at Ara.

“We’re all facing similar challenges and it’s excellent that our newly formed WIL Research Cluster has plans to meet regularly. I'm sure it is going to be of real value.”