Exploring differences in industry supervisors’ ratings of student performance on WIL placements and the relative importance of skills: does remuneration matter?

Assessment in work integrated learning (WIL) programs typically involves workplace supervisors rating student performance against criteria based on employability skills. Yet investigations of differences in employer ratings that may impact on student outcomes are rare. This study reports on a pilot study that examined supervisor evaluations of the performance of tourism and hospitality management students undertaking a mandatory capstone internship, either paid or non-remunerated. The descriptive and exploratory statistical analysis examines data derived from over one hundred supervisor evaluation forms. A few significant differences in supervisor ratings of performance in paid and unpaid groups and in the relative importance of skills were found. Overall, the study affirmed that supervisors generally rate students highly on all skills. The skills that students are prepared for and assessed on in our WIL program were found to be of high value to local hosts. Implications for debates regarding supervisory input into assessing student performance are explored.