Work Readiness Institute Australia (WRIA) is a subsidiary of Global Centre for Work-Applied Learning (GCWAL). Whilst GCWAL offers change management programmes for middle, senior and top management, WRIA offers individual change programmes for developing work-based management skills for:
- graduates and non-managerial staff,
- new managers and managers in transition,
- emerging entrepreneurs
Participants in WRIA programmes will use the work based learning (WBL) approach which requires them to:
- Identify a meaningful workplace issue,
- Address this issue through a real-life work-based project,
- Apply management and business concepts to the work-based project,
- Critically reflect on the work-based project and other interpersonal and inter-group experiences.
WRIA delivers the following work-based learning and development programmes which are grounded in action learning and reflective practice:
All WRIA programmes use the WAL formula of
K + P1 + Q = P2 as shown below:
Thus, during a WRIA programme, participants will:
Reflect and apply relevant Knowledge (K) in the planning and implementation of the Work-Based Learning (WBL) project.
Critically reflect on a WBL Project (P1) to address a problem or need in their departments.
Question (Q) how to solve a problem by searching for ideas to help plan the WBL project.
Achieve Performance Outcomes (P2), including the WBL project outcomes, process outcomes, and learning outcomes.
The Work-Based Learning Project
The work-based learning project will develop the participants who are in transition to become work-ready in an authentic and engaging way. As the participants plan and implement their projects for or with their managers, they will learn how to take initiative and responsibility, build their confidence, solve problems, work with resources and people, communicate ideas and manage themselves more effectively. They become empowered to make a difference for themselves and their team members as they work with, work for, and work through their people. They also, depending on the level of work-readiness programmes, participants will read the relevant business or management knowledge and apply it to the work-based projects.
Critical Reflection
The process of undertaking the work-based project is built around critical reflection and the learnings that flow from the work on the project. So often in the busyness of our lives we tend to react quickly to what is before us and move on to the next thing that needs to be done. Careful thought, meditation and reflection about what we are faced with and what we might do, generally brings considerable benefit and richness to our actions. We use the term “reflection” to cover this ability to engage in careful thinking and finding insights about what has happened and what we have learned. WRIA programmes are designed to allow this to happen through its action learning and reflective practice processes.
Participant Support
The participants will be supported throughout the programme at allocated times by a WRIA programme facilitator who will provide written feedback on their reports as well as present webinars for their cohort to discuss their progress on the development of their projects, issues encountered and potential solutions to the issues and challenges. In addition, the participants will meet their respective managers regularly on their WBL projects and other related work assigned to them.
Input -> Process -> Output
The diagram below illustrates the input, process and outputs of the work-based learning approach used in WRIA programmes.
INPUT
KNOWLEDGE OF:
- Interpersonal skills
- Business or management concepts
- Understanding action learning and reflective
practice in relation to work-based learning
PROCESS
REFLECTING ON:
- Individual and team learning outcomes
- Self in relation to team members/others
- Self in relation to the Manager
IN THE CONTEXT OF
the knowledge and project and process outcomes
OUTPUT
REFLECTING REPORTS ON:
- Individual and team learning outcomes
- Self in relation to team members/others
- Self in relation to the Manager
IN THE CONTEXT OF
the knowledge and project and process outcomes
A unique feature of the WRIA programmes is the triangulated approach used in validating the progress of the participant, as shown in the diagram below.
The participant will submit a monthly reflective report on the development of their work readiness skills to the WRIA facilitator as well as to their manager. The WRIA facilitator will provide written feedback on each report to both the participant and their manager, and present webinars to discuss common themes faced by the participants and potential solutions.
This process also provides an opportunity for the manager to monitor the participant’s development of their work readiness skills and coach and mentor the participant. Thus, the participant receives feedback from both the WRIA facilitator and the manager.
