Workplace Integrated Learning at Universities

Workplace Integrated Learning (WIL) is a form of university practicum or workplace experience that combines academic study with practical experience in a real-world setting for anthropology students. For employers, the placements offer access to anthropology students who bring fresh knowledge and perspectives to live projects, while supporting learning outcomes, professional standards, and the profession as a whole. For students, it provides hands-on opportunities to apply some of the knowledge learnt in an academic setting in a workplace. Examples include students in anthropology or Indigenous studies assisting a Prescribed Body Corporate (PBCs) or Native Title group with site registration and desktop research. Or it could be a 100-hour GIS mapping project where students enrolled in second- or third-year units want to learn new mapping skills or gain first-hand experience digitising records, while gaining insight into anthropology as a career pathway. Whatever your passion, there are options for students and a diverse range of host employers that may be interested in developing a project with you and your university. It may even help bridge the gap between theory and practice for students who, like ASWA, support professional development and best-practice in applied anthropology.

Dr Graham M. Townley, ASWA Professional Committee.

Contact Us - if you want to talk to someone on the Professional Committee at ASWA about how a student placement might work for a consulting anthropologist firm or other employer of anthropologists.

University Online Information on WIL Placements

UWA Work Integrated Learning placements

Curtin Work-integrated learning

Work Integrated Learning | myMurdoch

ECU Intranet | Work Integrated Learning

There is even a WIL Professional Association - About WIL Australia that advocates for practitioners and researchers from the tertiary education sector, industry, community and government representatives, involved in work-integrated learning (WIL) and collaborative education in Australia.

For Students: How to Apply

Step 1: Check Eligibility

Confirm with your university that you meet the academic requirements for WIL programs. Make sure you talk to a student advisor!

Step 2: Consult Your University Careers Office

Learn about available WIL opportunities and timelines.

Step 3: Prepare Your Application

Update your resume to highlight relevant skills for a placement.
Write a cover letter explaining your interest in anthropology and your contribution to the host organisation. The Unis match registered students to hosts!

Step 4: Identify Opportunities

Search university portals, talk to us, or use your networks to reach out directly to heritage agencies, PBCs, NT Rep Bodies, or community organisations that might support a placement. Typically, the Unis keep a register of employers, so it's up to employers to approach the Unis and express an interest in hosting a student. Then the matching happens!

Step 5: Submit Your Application

Follow the employer or university instructions and meet all the deadlines.

Step 6: Prepare for Interviews

Research the organization and be ready to discuss your academic background and interest in applied anthropology.

Step 7: Confirm Placement & Requirements

Clarify start dates, tasks, and any reporting requirements for academic credits.

For Employers: How to Pursue a WIL Placement in Applied Anthropology

Step 1: Make sure you Register Interest with a suitable University that teaches Anthropology and Identify Suitable Tasks for the Student

Contact a university, check the guidelines and define tasks aligned with anthropology skills—such as online and cultural research, heritage support and documentation, or records management. Much depends on your needs and on aligning the course curriculum with the students' learning outcomes. Remember, some universities only offer 100 hours of student placement, so be realistic about what can be done in that timeframe. Students might be undergraduate (2nd or 3rd year) or postgarduate, depending on what's on offer!

Step 2: Define Learning Outcomes

Ensure the placement provides meaningful learning experiences and meets academic requirements. A simple task like using research skills, data entry, or populating an online bibliographic database for ethnographic reports and referencing might be a good outcome and learning experience!

Step 3: Prepare a Placement Description

It includes tasks and responsibilities, duration (hrs), location, supervision, and prerequisites.

Step 4: Register Your Opportunity

Share your placement through university portals, or direct outreach to academic departments.

Step 5: Review Applications & Interview

Assess student resumes and conduct interviews to confirm suitability.

Step 6: Formalise the Agreement

Complete the required documentation with the university and set clear start and end dates.

Step 7: Provide Supervision & Feedback

Assign an experienced anthropologist as a workplace supervisor and mentor, schedule check-ins, and offer constructive feedback.

Step 8: Evaluate & Report

Provide feedback to the student and complete any required university reporting.