Developing added value skills within an academic programme through work-based learning

This paper examines the extent to which the softer or transferable skills that are apparently sought by firms are developed through work-based learning. The study is a pilot study, as it is restricted to the experience of students and graduates of a single degree programme at Napier University, Edinburgh. However, the results indicate a positive contribution of work-based learning to the development of the transferable skills of those involved in the programme. The paper concludes that these tentative positive results drawn from the pilot study need to be tested across a broader sample of students and graduates from a wide range of programmes and institutions. This would enable an effective evaluation of the role of work-based learning in skilling the firm.