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Research & ImpactNews & EventsWILP Internship & Graduation Requirement
Background
The Work-Integrated Learning Programme (WILP) is designed to enhance students’ personal growth by providing them with essential work experience in the real world. Students of the degree programmes are required to engage in work experience to fulfil the WILP requirements.
WILP can take forms of practicum, internship, or industrial attachment, of which the hours vary among programmes. The WILP is a non-credit bearing programme and is one of the graduation requirements for all bachelor’s degree students (including both first-year and senior-year entry students) of cohort 2015 and thereafter.
In addition to complying with the discipline-related internship or practicum, students are required to participate in at least 8 College Seminars during the whole period of study in a bachelor’s degree programme.
Objectives
The WILP is designed to:
a) Provide an experiential learning opportunity for students to integrate classroom learning with real-world workplace experience, to gain and learn from hands-on experience, and to make the general knowledge and skills acquired at work transferable to their future careers;
b) Help students build appropriate self-values, interpersonal relationships and communication skills through work experience, strengthen students’ motivation and intelligence in face of adversity and stress, and develop students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills, ethical values and professional quality in handling regular tasks as well as challenges at work; and
c) Help students search for meaning at study, at work and in life, through engaging in a real work and reflection process.
d) Both WILP Internship and College Seminar are compulsory for all first-year entry students (cohort 2015 and thereafter). Senior-year entry students (cohort 2015 and thereafter) are required to fulfil the requirements of College Seminar only.
Requirements for Graduation regarding WILP
In order not to overload students, students who are from programmes with compulsory practicum arrangement (e.g. BHSc(N) and BSc(OT)) can take the practicum as fulfilling the WILP requirement, while students from programmes without practicum arrangement (e.g. BMSc and BSSc(APsy)) can seek employment in the form of internship (WILP Internship) in disciplines relevant to their programme of studies.
In addition to completing the discipline-related internship or practicum as required by individual programme, students are required to participate in at least 8 College Seminars during the whole period of study in a bachelor’s degree programme. The College Seminars are themed to develop intellectual curiosity and awareness in current affairs. Prominent professionals and industry leaders will be invited to share their experience, expertise, and personal/professional development.
Operation and Administrative Support for the WILP Internship
Internships must be discipline-related in terms of business nature and/or job nature, with allowance provided by the employers. Students can find their own internship, via their School or Programme Leader, or the Tung Wah Office Intern Support Scheme (TWOI) coordinated by Student Affairs Office (SAO).
Students are required to submit the “Application for Endorsement for Self-sourced Internship Form” for the respective School Deans’ endorsement and SAO’s approval.
Students who would apply for the internship opportunities offered via TWOI or other internship openings may browse the SAO website at https://www.twc.edu.hk/en/Administration_Units/career_services/vacancy/1. The students will then submit their applications via SAO to the employers and submitting CVs and attending interviews are normally required.
SAO takes charge of the operation and related logistics of WILP Internship and offers support to all students.
Pre-internship workshops
Prior to engaging in an internship, students are advised to attend pre-internship workshops arranged by SAO. These workshops serve both informative and training purposes. Students will be provided with the essential information on the purposes, arrangements and requirements of WILP internship (including the writing tips and requirements on the reflective paper). Students will also learn useful skills and information for job searching, interviews, office etiquette and handling of problems at work, etc.
Students will among other things learn about the purposes, arrangement and other requirements of WILP internship. In addition, the pre-internship workshops will prepare students’ job searching skills, job readiness and an understanding of the following:
- job searching, CV writing and interview skills;
- issues relating to confidentiality and rights to privacy;
- work ethics and responsible use of information technology;
- the rights to work in an environment free from abuse and harassment; and
- appropriate handling and reporting of concerns or problems at the workplace.
Guidance from Student Academic Advisors
As students have to apply for internship and attend interviews with prospective employers, the workshops will help prepare students for their job applications and interviews. The job interview provides both employers and students with a good foundation for a successful internship experience. Students will be advised that job interviews will be competitive by nature and they may not be able to get an internship in the first interview. If so, they shall reflect and learn from such experience, and prepare for the next round with further guidance and coaching from Student Academic Advisors (SAAs).
Once the internship offers have been confirmed, students are required to submit the “Employment Registration Form” to SAO for registration.
Students should submit the “Post-Internship Reflective Paper” to the respective SAAs according to the individual programme requirements. Students are strongly encouraged to contact the respective SAAs.
Roles of the Students
Students should perceive themselves as regular employees and perform job duties as assigned. They should work hard to meet the job requirements and expectations of their employers. They can consult their SAAs and/or SAO for guidance whenever they meet challenges.
In general, students should adhere to the following code of conduct during the internship period:
- to account for their time honestly and accurately;
- not to personally receive any fees, commissions, gifts or gratuities from the clients of WILP organisations
- to safeguard the internship organisation’s confidentiality and secure all materials at all times;
- to avoid and disclose conflicts of interest, if any; and
- not to use inside information of internship organisations to pursue personal interests
Roles of the Employers
The employers at the workplace are responsible for assigning tasks and responsibilities and setting expectations and other requirements for the internship, according to the posts assigned and with reference to the students’ learning objectives and plans. The employers will coach and monitor the students’ performance during their internship. The employers will confirm the number of hours of the internship and be invited to offer feedback on the interns’ performance.
Non-local Students
Non-local students holding a “No Objection Letter” (“NOL”) issued by the Immigration Department of the Government of the HKSAR can legally participate in internship programmes for a prescribed duration only if such internship programmes are endorsed by the College as study or curriculum related.
Non-local students who do not have or have lost the NOL should approach the Registry for assistance in application/reapplication of the Letter.
For non-local students holding a valid NOL, prior approval from SAO must be sought before the commencement of the internship.
Please refer to the “Important notes of internship for non-local students” for details.
Mature Students
Mature students (aged 25 or above by the time of admission) who have gained two years of full-time work experience that is relevant to their disciplines before admission to TWC may choose to apply for exemption from WILP Internship.
College Seminar is not exemptible under any circumstances.
Applications for exemption, along with the supporting documents, should be approved by respective School Deans.
Students with Special Educational Needs (SEN)
In line with the College’s commitment in the development of a barrier-free learning environment and the provision of equal opportunities in academic pursuits for students with SEN, special internship arrangements may be adopted to accommodate their needs on a case-by-case basis. These special arrangements may include flexibility in fulfilling the required number of internship hours and priority in selecting an internship offered by the College.
SEN students who would like to apply for special internship arrangements are required to provide relevant supporting documents (e.g. medical certificates) to SAO for evaluation purposes.
Guidelines for Approving Suitable WILP Internships
For those self-sourced internships, students must obtain prior endorsement from their respective Schools. The Schools will decide on whether the self-sourced internships are discipline-related. No-pay internships are only considered on a case-by-case basis. Students will then submit the endorsed applications to SAO for approval.
Internship opportunities offered should have all been screened for their suitability for engagement of our students by the individual programme, against the following criteria:
- whether they are considered to be discipline-related in terms of business nature and/or job nature;
- whether they can potentially contribute to the professional growth of the students;
- whether the concerned working environment is safe; and
- whether the concerned business is legal and ethical.
The internship has to be a structured and measurable learning experience which takes place in an organisational context. Non-structured internships, such as private tutoring or freelance translation work at home, will not be counted towards the WILP internship.
The WILP internship should take place at a specific time designated by the prescribed study pattern.
Students will be informed prior to the internship commencement, once their applications are approved.
Post-Internship Reflective Paper
To encourage students to think deeply about their learning experience and to facilitate the College to understand the learning process of students during a WILP internship, each student is required to submit a Post-Internship Reflective Paper consisting of 800 to 1,200 words to SAA within four weeks after completion of the internship.
Please refer to the “WILP Post-Internship Reflective Paper Requirements and Guidelines” for details.
Instances when WILP Requirements are Not Fulfilled
WILP is one of the graduation requirements for bachelor’s degree students. As such, students must fulfil the requirements during their course of study.
WILP Internship
Students not fulfilling the required hours of internship or not submitting a satisfying reflective paper before graduation will be followed up by SAO and SAAs.
College Seminar
Students are encouraged and would be reminded to review their attendance of the College Seminars at ePortfolio (Mahara System) at the start of semester 2 so that they will be able to catch up during the rest of their studies if necessary.
Students not having attended the required number of seminars before graduation will be followed up by SAO.
SAO will provide special help to those students who are not able to accumulate the attendance of EIGHT seminars before their graduation. Extra quotas or special seminar would be provided to students in meeting this requirement before graduation only when situation and resources allow. Students will be charged an enrollment fee of HK$200 per each outstanding College Seminar under such scenario.
The charge of enrollment fee is listed in the Student Handbook and WILP Handbook with listing the amount of HK$200 per.
Work schedule for the WILP Internship
The year-round schedule for implementation of the WILP Internship is as follows:
September
- Programme Leader to send emails to remind all potential participating students to get prepared for the upcoming internship
January – February
- Employer of TWOI to provide internship vacancies details to SAO
- SAO to post details of the internship vacancies to SAO webpage and circulate the information to students
February – March
- Students to submit internship applications
March – May
Internships self-sourced by students
- SAO to conduct briefing sessions and workshops for students
- Students to submit the “Application for Endorsement for Self-sourced Internship Form” to the respective PLs for endorsement and SAO for approval and
- Students to submit the “Employment Registration Form” to SAO for registration before commencing internships
Internships offered via SAO
- SAO to conduct selection interviews at TWC
- SAO to recommend shortlisted students to the employers for consideration
- Employers to confirm offering of internship positions to selected candidates
- SAO to conduct briefing sessions and workshops for students
- Students to submit the “Employment Registration Form” to SAO for registration before commencing internships
June – August
- Internship period
August – September
- Students are required to submit the “Post-Internship Reflective Paper” to SAAs
- SAAs to process Post-internship Reflective Papers
- SAO to collect employers’ feedback
- SAO and Schools to evaluate the internship exercise
WILP Forms
Form-SAO-20-Self-sourced-Internship-Endorsement-Form
Form-SAO-21-Internship-Registration-Form
Form-SAO-23 Application for Internship Exemption or Special Arrangement
Form-SAO-24-Internship-Record-Completion-Certificate
Form-SAO-25 Application for WILP Transcript
Post-Internship Reflective Paper – Requirements and Guidelines
Work-Integrated Learning Programme (WILP)QUICK LINKSQUICK LINKS
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