Take innovation to implementation

Explore open-access tools, frameworks, and case studies that make work-integrated learning (WIL) scalable and sustainable across higher education.

About the Hub

The WIL Accelerator Resource Hub is an open-access library built to help higher education leaders, industry, and innovators turn ideas into action.

Each resource reflects lessons learned from pilots, research, and collaborations across the Accelerator network—tested models that anyone can adapt, apply, and build upon.

Whether you’re integrating real-world projects into the curriculum, designing workforce partnerships, or testing digital WIL tools, this hub connects you to the frameworks and insights shaping the future of higher education.

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Videos/Webinars

GSV Panel: Expanding the Spectrum of Opportunity with Apprenticeships and Work-Based Learning

The “Expanding the Spectrum of Opportunity with Apprenticeships and Work-Based Learning” panel from the ASU+GSV Summit highlights how hands-on learning experiences can better align education with workforce needs. Panelists discuss the importance of paid, real-world experience in building job-ready skills, the challenges of scaling access and employer engagement, and the need to close gaps between education and labor market demands, ultimately positioning work-based learning as a key strategy for expanding opportunity and improving career outcomes.

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Articles

Completion is Not Enough

In this thought-provoking article, Sukhwant Jhaj argues that higher education must move beyond a narrow focus on access and completion to confront a more urgent challenge: post-graduate success. Drawing on national data and decades of research, he highlights the growing disconnect between earning a degree and achieving meaningful career and life outcomes. The piece reframes student success as a three-phase journey—access, completion, and post-college thriving—and calls on institutions to redesign their systems to deliver on the true promise of higher education: economic mobility, adaptability, and a better future for every student.

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Articles

Making Work-Based Learning Inevitable for Every Student

In the final installment of this three-part series, Kevin Grubb outlines how institutions can move from access to inevitability—making work-based learning a built-in expectation for every student. The article highlights actionable strategies such as embedding career guidance in the first-year experience, establishing barrier removal funds to address financial challenges, and reimagining Federal Work-Study as a career-aligned learning opportunity. Together, these approaches provide a roadmap for ensuring all students can participate in meaningful, paid work-based learning experiences that drive long-term success.

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Articles

The Student Before the System

This article challenges higher education to confront the growing gap between students’ expectations for work-integrated learning and the reality of limited access. Arguing that this disconnect represents a “broken promise,” it reframes the issue as a systemic design failure rather than a lack of student ambition. The piece advocates for a fundamental shift—from treating work-integrated learning as a competitive, external experience to embedding it directly within the classroom—highlighting how this approach can expand access, close equity gaps, and better prepare all students with the skills and confidence needed for the workforce.

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Articles

Three Actions Institutions Need to Take to Scale Work-Based Learning

As enthusiasm for work-based learning continues to grow across higher education, institutions are grappling with how to turn momentum into meaningful, scalable implementation. This article explores the gap between student demand and access to opportunities, highlighting key barriers and disparities in participation. Drawing on research and practical experience, it outlines three critical strategies for embedding work-based learning at scale: appointing a cabinet-level leader, establishing shared definitions of high-quality experiences, and building effective systems to track participation. Together, these approaches offer a roadmap for institutions seeking to make career-connected learning accessible to every student.

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Articles, Case Study

Scaling Work-Based Learning: A Framework for Effective Intermediaries

In 2025, an action group of intermediary organization leaders, researchers, and policy experts came together to define and guide the practice of employer intermediaries in order to grow work-based learning opportunities. The new Framework for Effective Employer Intermediaries defines employer intermediaries not by organization type but rather by the functions they perform to help employers design, implement, and scale work-based learning programs.

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Guides/Templates

Work-integrated Learning Studio: Workbook

This workbook is designed to support faculty in reimagining their courses to more intentionally integrate work-integrated learning (WIL). Through guided activities, reflective prompts, and practical tools, it helps instructors identify opportunities to connect academic content with real-world application. Whether enhancing an existing assignment or redesigning an entire course experience, this resource provides a structured approach to embedding meaningful, career-connected learning that prepares students with the skills, experiences, and insights needed for success beyond the classroom.

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Articles, Research/Reports

Power of Work-based Learning

Applied connections between education and work are increasingly a part of undergraduate education in the United States. Among students who have work-based learning experiences, those with paid internships stand out for their increased earning power, confidence in themselves, and recognition of the value of their education.

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Research/Reports

The State of the Student 2022- WILEY

The Wiley State of the Student report provides insight into trends for student engagement and expectations. Notably, students have an increased expectation for career relevant projects in their courses, and this report identified five key trends impacting the state of the student.

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