Bridging the Soft Skills Gap between Postsecondary Education and Employment through Work-Integrated Learning

• In Event: 41021 - Student Forum Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Roundtable 1: Education and Pedagogy

Abstract

Post-secondary institutions in Canada are currently under the microscope as the unemployment rate among new graduates continue to rise. Contemporary sociologists have suggested that work-integrated learning (WIL) can be a powerful tool to reverse the rising trends in unemployment rate by helping students develop soft-skills, gain relevant work experience, and apply classroom knowledge in real-world situations (Martin & Rouleau, 2020). Researchers have also highlighted that although WIL programs can be an effective pedagogical approach in all fields of study, there is a heightened importance for Arts students to participate in WIL (Li, 2016) as this specific group tends to encounter greater barriers in terms of finding employment (Yamamoto, 2014; Zeid et al., 2015). Despite WIL’s significance, there is a lack of qualitative research on Arts students’ perspectives on WIL. To address this, a qualitative case study was conducted with 50 semi-structured interviews of Arts students at the University of Waterloo— the world’s largest co-op institution which serves as a strong exemplar of WIL as a successful education model on both national and global levels (University of Waterloo, 2023b).

Grounded in human capital theory, situated learning theory, and credentialism, the findings reveal differing perspectives based on discipline. Students in non-traditional Arts majors (e.g., Accounting, Finance, and Economics) perceive WIL’s value as relatively equal across fields, while those in traditional Arts programs (e.g., Sociology, Psychology, History) view it as a crucial economic investment and evidence of competencies due to the stigma surrounding Arts careers. Non-co-op students cite a lack of awareness and exposure as barriers to participation, whereas co-op students highlight the scarcity of field-specific placements and limited faculty support. Both groups emphasize the need for accessible WIL opportunities to enhance human capital, improve employability, and bridge the soft skills gap between education and employment to reshape the future of work.

Author

• Mrittika Dreesha, University of Waterloo