What a difference a day makes: international students' experiences of inclusive short-form work-integrated learning

Jackson, V ORCID: 0000-0001-8968-3212 and O'Brien, V (2026) What a difference a day makes: international students' experiences of inclusive short-form work-integrated learning. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning. pp. 1-14. ISSN 2042-3896 (Accepted)

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Abstract

Purpose
Work-Integrated learning is widely recognised as an effective approach for supporting students’ employability and professional capability development. Yet access to traditional internships and placements can be limited, particularly for international students facing structural and visa-related barriers. This study explores the potential of a short-form work-integrated learning intervention: a one-day micro-internship, designed to provide authentic industry engagement within a compressed timeframe.

Design
Adopting a case study methodology at one UK Business School, this qualitative study draws on interviews with nine international students who participated in a one-day micro-internship to explore how the experience supported their professional and personal development, and career readiness.

Findings
Thematic analysis identified six themes: authentic exposure to business practice; experiential learning bridging theory and practice; development of professional capabilities and workplace skills; the accessibility and inclusivity of the format; growth in career capital and professional identity; and suggestions for enhancing programme design. Findings indicate that even brief, structured industry engagement can support meaningful learning, confidence, workplace communication and insight into professional practice.

Originality
Responding to persistent inequities in access to traditional placements, this paper advances understanding of micro-internships as an under-explored yet potentially more inclusive model of work-integrated learning. It offers new empirical evidence that even brief industry engagement can support professional capability development, career readiness and self-efficacy amongst international students, challenging assumptions that meaningful experiential learning requires sustained placements.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	3903 Education systems
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > HF5001 Business L Education > LB Theory and practice of education L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2361 Curriculum
Divisions:	Liverpool Business School
Publisher:	Emerald
Date of acceptance:	21 June 2026
Date of first compliant Open Access:	9 July 2026
Date Deposited:	08 Jul 2026 08:54
Last Modified:	09 Jul 2026 00:50
DOI or ID number:	10.1108/heswbl-04-2026-0325
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28979

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