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Contemporary discussions of graduate employability bemoan the lack of general job skills and practical industry-specific competence amongst hospitality graduates. This paper examines the theoretical contribution of work integrated learning (WIL) within the context of service industries. The objective is to demonstrate the practical implications of WIL to enhancement of hospitality graduate attributes and employability. This study uses a deductive approach with both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to collect primary research. The initial stage commenced with quantitative surveys of the three sample groups: hospitality graduates, educators and employers/managers. Snowball and networking techniques were employed to reach the respondents with an online survey. A response rate of 26 per cent was achieved and [statistical package for the social sciences] SPSS was used to analyse the data. The second qualitative phase of the research using focus groups will further inform the study and provide data and methodological triangulation. Preliminary analysis of the data supports the hypothesis that benefits of WIL are transferable to hospitality, however, more attention to the development and execution of WIL is necessary for stakeholders to realise these benefits and to deliver 'employable' graduates. With a focus on integrating practical, relevant and reflective industry experience within tertiary curriculum, WIL has the potential to create job ready 'employable' hospitality graduates.

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Purpose: Work-integrated learning (WIL) is an integral part of hospitality curriculums in Australia. Experiencing stress during WIL is expected, as students try to balance work and other responsibilities. Previous studies have usually examined the negative impact of stress on individuals. By referring to relevant theories, this paper argues the positive impact of stress and reports on a study which aimed to investigate whether stress - experienced by students during WIL - leads to resilience and well-being. Design/methodology/approach: Hospitality students from different backgrounds enrolled at a tertiary institution completed an online survey. This study uses structural equation modelling (SEM), to test the proposed links between stress, resilience and well-being.

Findings: The study results show that 'academic pressure' (mean score = 3.57) is the most common stressor identified by hospitality students. This was followed by stress caused by 'time pressure' (mean score = 3.01). Model testing reveals that experiencing 'career development concerns' has a statistically significant association with resilience. Moreover, there is a strong link (B = 0.624) between resilience and well-being. Originality/value: This study makes a contribution by proposing positive outcomes related to stress during WIL. A handful of studies have looked at similar concepts. However, this paper uses statistical techniques to measure and analyse relationships between different variables. By running an SEM, the authors were able to test a linear causal relationship which identifies stressors leading to a significant impact on resilience. Similarly, the strength of relationship between resilience and well-being is also empirically tested.

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Work integrated learning (WIL), industry-based experiences and the development of business ready skills in graduates have been a source of major contention between employers and tertiary educators. Dissatisfaction with graduate employability has been elevated within contemporary discussion with particular references made to a lack of general job skills and practical industry-specific competence. Such dissatisfaction transverses disciplinary boundaries and is of heightened concern for the hospitality industry due to the service orientation of the work. Work integrated learning is emerging within the auspices of experiential learning (EL) theory as a potential means to redress this gap. Research into WIL is currently preliminary and generalised towards traditional disciplines such as teaching, medicine, nursing and engineering to name a few. A standardised framework for effective implementation of WIL is elusive and has led to disparate and assorted adhoc attempts to fit WIL into tertiary curricula. The investigation focuses specifically on the hospitality sector within NSW tertiary institutions to determine the transferability of benefits experienced from the application of WIL in traditional disciplines to the specific characteristics of service industries.

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