Structured Work Placement within the School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology: A Focus on Mobility Matters and Measured Outcomes

According to a comparative structured work placement (SWP) study conducted in the Dublin Institute of Technology's (DITs) School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology (SCAFT), the international or global SWP experience of third-level learners is primarily and actively supported through a process of interpersonal, social and cultural development (Cullen, 2012). The adoption or development of applicable work based learning (WBL) models supporting or scaffolding such notions of student/learner development often reflect the educational aims of learner/worker mobility and Life Long Learning strategies in the main. However, and perhaps most importantly, such models need to reflect the value which third-level students' place on their prospective learning through the co-development of clear objectives and effective learner support systems from within the academy. This presentation focuses on the third-level student's experience through the world of work and those desirable traits or attributes linked to the notion of employability. The main objective will be to illuminate key aspects of a suitable model for learning in working life and the pedagogic scaffolding of the learner-at-work experience. This presentation also recognizes the importance of critical reflective practice integral to the maintenance of lifelong career management and key skills development, as well as the potential impact of web based technologies which further facilitate and sustain distinct communities of practice.