ABSTRACT
Work integrated learning is expanding and taking many more students off campus into various workplaces. The learning and work combined make for complexity. It can be challenging for students, universities, host organizations and their workplaces, and it is inevitable that some problems will arise. Many workplaces are local but some are in remote and international locations, thus making it difficult to assist students should issues arise. With the expansion of work integrated learning it is likely there will be a greater frequency and opportunity for injury and risk to students, clients, patients or consumers, and workplaces. It is therefore important for the university to know the students and the university’s capacity (or incapacity) to protect them, understand the nature and severity of risk in work integrated learning environments, and foresee situations when students and their clients, patients or consumers might be harmed. Work integrated learning involves understanding particular frameworks as background knowledge to ensure programmes operate within a managed risk environment.
