What is it about?
Many university students in social work need to complete internships in real-world organisations. But these work-based learning opportunities are becoming harder to find, and many agencies now face difficulties in continuing to host students. This study looks at how one Spanish university adapted its internship programme using flexible planning tools (VUCA and Agile) to keep the programme running. It shows how universities can adjust their internal teams, use digital tools, and work closely with partners to help students gain the training they need. This is important because internships are essential for preparing students to work in fields that support public welfare, such as social and health services.
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Why is it important?
Work-based learning and internships are a key part of many university degrees, but they are becoming harder to sustain. Universities increasingly depend on external organisations that are under pressure from staff shortages, limited resources, and frequent disruptions. When placements become unstable, students face uncertainty and stress, and institutions struggle to guarantee meaningful learning experiences. This study is important because it shows how an academic unit adapted the way it organised and managed internships in a highly unpredictable context. Instead of relying on fixed procedures, the programme used flexible planning approaches and simple digital tools to improve coordination, respond more quickly to problems, and strengthen collaboration with partner organisations. These changes helped stabilise placements and improve the experience for both students and staff. By focusing on everyday organisational practices rather than large-scale reforms, the article offers practical insights that can be applied across different disciplines and institutional settings. Improving how internships are managed supports student learning, protects relationships with external partners, and helps universities continue to prepare graduates for professional roles in sectors that are essential to society.
Perspectives
Working on this article grew out of a period of intense uncertainty in how internships were being organized. Day- to-day decisions were often made under pressure, with limited information and few guarantees that existing solutions would hold. What began as an effort to respond to these difficulties gradually became an opportunity to step back and reflect on how academic teams cope with uncertainty, reorganise their work, and support students and external partners at the same time. Writing the article allowed our team to turn a challenging experience into a shared reflection that others might recognise in their own institutions. Personally, I hope it encourages those involved in work-based learning to see everyday coordination, problem-solving, and collaboration as meaningful and creative work. If it helps academic staff feel more confident in experimenting, learning from small changes, and sharing their experiences in difficult contexts, then it will have served its purpose.
Tereza Leal
Universitat de Barcelona
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Integrating VUCA and agile frameworks in work-integrated learning: a higher education case study, Higher Education Skills and Work-based Learning, November 2025, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/heswbl-07-2025-0307.
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