ABSTRACT
Globally, occupations within the human movement industry are diverse, including sport event management, coaching, facility management, and exercise and sport science. Preparation for work within the Australian human movement industry can be undertaken through the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system and/or in Higher Education (HE). The provision of work-based learning (WBL) in numerous occupational settings is consistent across educational pathways within human movement. Sometimes WBL is an option for students, other times it is mandated. This paper explores student preparation for the human movement industry from the perspective of HE and VET providers, students, and industry supervisors who participate in WBL.
Through WBL, students can bridge the gap between classroom-based theory and the real-world industry setting (Hall, Pascoe & Charity, 2017a; Patrick et al., 2008). For students, WBL provides opportunities to experience and improve their understanding of the diverse human movement industry and to identify potential career options (Hall, Pascoe & Charity, 2017b). However, considering that emotional, social and motivational experiences impact a student’s learning (Illeris, 2003), it should be acknowledged that a positive or negative WBL experience may alter a student’s impression of the human movement industry.
Human movement industry supervisors are important key stakeholders, reporting benefits to their participation in WBL, such as students providing a new perspective and enthusiasm, and assisting with organisational workloads (Ferkins, 2002). Fleming and Hickey (2013) reported that students value WBL as an opportunity to apply theoretical concepts that they have been exposed to in the classroom. In contrast, this benefit is not identified from supervisors and highlights a disconnection between supervisor and student perspectives of WBL.
This review of contemporary human movement literature highlights the unique experiences and perspectives of stakeholders involved in WBL. These stakeholders offer insight of perceived benefits of participation in such workplace experiences. Creating conversations between students, supervisors, education providers and accreditation bodies is paramount to ensure an effective and successful WBL experience for students within the VET and HE sectors.
