global challenge:
BROADENING STUDENT ACCESS TO INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE JUDIE KAY, Vice Chair Programs and Partnerships at the World Association for Cooperative and Work Integrated Education (WACE) introduces the WACE Global Challenge initiative.
The WACE Global Challenge activates a global network of universities located in every continent to form diverse student teams assisting organisations to advance initiatives aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Collaborating in multidisciplinary, transnational teams, students work with real clients on project briefs over their four-week WACE Global Challenge experience. WACE is the global association for work integrated learning (WIL). Global Challenge was developed to respond to strategic goals to broaden student access to international experiences and overcome barriers many students face to engage in in-person work integrated learning experiences across the globe.
FROM PILOT TO PROGRAM LAUNCH The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic turbocharged the implementation of this programme. Piloting the concept in 2020 with experienced WIL universities and an experienced educational technology company, Practera, and using their established experiential learning platform, was critical to getting this complex initiative off the ground. By June 2022, WACE had run four Global Challenge programs, in addition to the pilot, involving over 500 students from 34 institutions located in over 20 countries. Students are from a wide range of disciplines and from both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. In addition to undertaking the client project, students undertake skills development, a cultural intelligence workshop prior to commencement, an orientation session and a presentation and reflection session at programme end. Most institutions have provided Global Challenge to students as a co-curricular activity, but several have included it as a credit-bearing component of their curriculum. Clients range across all industry sectors from large multinational companies to start-ups and not-for-profits in a wide range of countries.
POSITIVE OUTCOMES Global Challenge has produced positive outcomes for all stakeholders from the initial pilot. There has been over 80% student retention in each programme, with student withdrawals usually linked to external factors. All students are surveyed for feedback at the conclusion of each Global Challenge. Over 80% of students report enhanced employability skills and social and professional networks resulting from the Global Challenge experience. Similarly, 70% of client organisations report that the outcomes of the Global Challenge projects assist their business decision making. Institutions believe that Global Challenge’s project-based, multidisciplinary approach prepares their graduates for contemporary workplaces by developing a global mindset and capabilities as well as providing real international experience. "University of Exeter students have participated in the WACE Global Challenge program since its inception. Like many institutions we pivoted our activity to ‘digital first’ during the peak of the pandemic and this included our extensive range of experiential learning provision. The Global Challenge programme has therefore become an integral part of our Global Leaders portfolio of global and SDG-focused experiential learning programmes and contributes to the University of Exeter’s Strategy 2030 commitment to embed SDGs across the student experience. Intercultural awareness, work-authentic problem solving with real-world employer clients are invaluable learning outcomes for students in preparation for the new world of work and digital environment that continues to emerge as a result of the pandemic. This programme, and our wider portfolio, have facilitated an immensely rewarding and rich experience for our students as a result. Research demonstrates that these experiences are particularly beneficial for disadvantaged and underrepresented groups who might not readily otherwise have access to such transnational experiences, and feedback from our own students continues to support this." Paul Blackmore Head of Student Employability and Academic Success University of Exeter Global Challenge has grown quickly and been effective at enabling access to quality international work-integrated learning to a diverse range of students globally. Students value the authentic industry experience, being challenged, gaining new perspectives and knowledge of other cultures as well as discovering new abilities. This innovative programme has been recognised by being a finalist in the PIEoneer Awards in the category Real Life Learning in 2022. programspartnershipsvc@waceinc.org waceinc.org/Global-Challenge
PAGE 35
