Work-integrated Learning in Environmental Health: A Cross-Program Perspective of Higher Education Institutions in South Africa

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is a crucial component of graduate readiness. The exposure to real-world work experience that WIL offers increases the capabilities of graduates, thereby increasing employability. In environmental health, WIL is an understudied area in the higher education context. This article explores the WIL practices of environmental health programs and provides a comparison of WIL coordination and related components across academic institutions. Data were collected via a quantitative research approach using questionnaires on WIL coordination and challenges experienced by WIL coordinators. The findings demonstrate that there is a substantial difference in the coordination of WIL across participating programs, with disparities in the integration of WIL. The majority of participating programs incorporate WIL as an independent module, although some programs integrate WIL activities into academic modules or through WIL placements. The classification of WIL activities and documentation of WIL were varied. This study highlights the need for a guideline on standard practice for consistency of WIL across environmental health programs.