Student Perceptions of the Value of Career Development Learning to a Work-Integrated Learning Course in Exercise Science

Abstract

Work-integrated learning has become a significant feature of Australian universities over the past decade. Earlier research indicates that some form of career development is essential to prepare undergraduate students for a competitive employment market. The 2008 National Association of Graduate Careers Advisory services (NAGCAs) symposium sought to establish best practice in the integration of career development learning and work-integrated learning. The NAGCAs symposium and resulting project served as a catalyst for the current study, which examined the value of career development learning to work-integrated learning through student perceptions of the benefits of career education workshops in Field Project, a final-year course for the Bachelor of Exercise science at Griffith University, Gold Coast. The findings suggest that university students should be exposed to courses that provide a combination of career education and work-integrated learning as part of their formal studies to maximise their employment potential for optimal economic and social outcomes.