University-Industry Partnerships: Exploring the Role of Human Resource Professionals in Supporting Inclusive Careers through Work-Integrated Learning

<p dir="ltr">University-industry partnerships are essential for connecting higher education with industry. These collaborations encompass a wide range of activities, including research, innovation initiatives, entrepreneurial ventures, and educational programs such as work-integrated learning (WIL). From an organisational perspective, WIL offers strategic advantages such as early engagement with potential future employees, enhancement of corporate reputation, and addressing skill gaps. Human resource (HR) professionals play a pivotal role in managing these programs. These professionals are considered the gatekeepers of WIL initiatives that balance organisational needs with educational goals. Given the benefits of WIL in enhancing graduates’ confidence, employability, employment prospects, and identity formation, recent government and strategic initiatives have focused on increasing access and participation in WIL for all students. Inclusive WIL has emerged as a strategic priority; however, research continues to show that students from different backgrounds, particularly those from equity groups, experience WIL differently.</p><p dir="ltr">While recent research has focused on enhancing inclusive work-integrated learning (WIL), there is still a lack of exploration into how industry professionals, particularly HR professionals, contribute to inclusive WIL experiences. This thesis aims to explore how HR professionals influence the inclusivity of WIL programs. It investigates this question through a thesis by compilation (publication) and two research phases, culminating in four research publications. In the first phase, it was necessary to determine the extent of existing research in these intersecting areas. Therefore, two scoping reviews of the literature were undertaken: the first on inclusive WIL (Paper 1) and the second on the role of industry partners in successful university-industry partnerships (Paper 2). These publications highlight the gap in research on the role of industry partners in contributing to inclusive WIL and identify associated challenges in managing these relationships, as well as factors critical to sustaining successful partnerships, including the motivations of industry partners.</p><p dir="ltr">In the second phase, empirical research was conducted through 20 interviews with industry professionals across various organisational roles in the United Arab Emirates. These studies explored the motivations of HR professionals to support internship programs (Paper 3) and their motivations and actions towards inclusive WIL (Paper 4). Both of these papers used the reasoned action approach, which is effective for analysing motivations and actions, as a theoretical framework. The findings revealed that HR managers strongly support these collaborations and view them as a forward-thinking approach to talent development. There is a strong commitment from HR professionals to foster inclusive WIL, driven largely by their organisations’ internal equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives. These professionals recognise that inclusive WIL creates opportunities for diverse student groups, considering factors beyond academic performance. The research proposes five key elements essential for designing inclusive WIL programs that can be integrated into HR strategies.</p><p dir="ltr">Overall, this thesis highlights factors that hinder university-industry partnerships and suggests potential factors that support these collaborations. It demonstrates that WIL, specifically business internship programs, can align with a firm’s corporate social responsibility strategy and contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. By addressing global challenges through inter-sectoral partnerships, WIL prepares future talent to tackle these issues. Therefore, it is essential for HR professionals to creatively craft partnerships that incorporate contemporary skills and knowledge, are inclusive of diverse student experiences and backgrounds, and nurture new talent into organisations, aligning with future workforce needs.</p>