Work integrated learning and engineering education: Merging academic libraries into an ecosystem of support

Authors

Karien du Bruyn Vaal University of Technology, South Africa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0835-006X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34142/2709-7986.2026.31.1.18

Keywords:

academic libraries, digital storytelling, engineering, higher education institutions, mental health literacy, narrative pedagogy, South Africa, work integrated learning

Abstract

Purpose. South African higher education institutions are increasingly under pressure to produce employable graduates. While technical skills are predominantly the focus in engineering education, transitioning to the workplace poses peculiar challenges. Soft skills commonly refer to a set of predetermined behaviors considered necessary in a professional work context. The latter is a subset of the affective domain in education, which encompasses the broader context in which transitioning from campus to the workplace occurs. The purpose of this study stems from a notable lack in the literature on considering the affective domain when planning workplace preparedness programs for South African engineering students.

Methodology. Using Schlossberg’s Transition Theory as a framework, this study employed an interpretive literature review to examine South African engineering students’ transitioning to Work-Integrated Learning. The literature was analysed according to Schlossberg’s theoretical framework, comprising a perusal of situational contexts during a transition, personal strengths and characteristics, institutional support structures, and coping strategies employed by individuals.

Results. The findings of the present study confirm that preparing engineering students for the WIL component should acknowledge the entire life transition process rather than relying on a generic list of “soft skills”. In responding to a current lack of context-specific student preparation initiatives in South Africa, this study explores the role of academic libraries in facilitating digital storytelling as an emerging narrative pedagogy.

Conclusions. Work-Integrated Learning offers higher education institutions an opportunity to strengthen their reputations and success by showcasing students who have received sound industry preparation. A narrow conception of the affective domain in engineering education may disadvantage students and place an undue burden on industry mentors and relevant academic staff. Academic libraries are well-positioned to facilitate the contextualization of soft skills within the broader transition-to-workplace by enabling digital storytelling, while allowing engineering students to inform context-specific curricula for student preparation initiatives in South Africa.

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Author Biography

Karien du Bruyn, Vaal University of Technology, South Africa

Information Specialist, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Vaal University of Technology, South Africa.

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Published

2026-05-18

How to Cite

du Bruyn, K. (2026). Work integrated learning and engineering education: Merging academic libraries into an ecosystem of support. Educational Challenges, 31(1), 252-267. https://doi.org/10.34142/2709-7986.2026.31.1.18