Unequal access to work-integrated learning: misalignment, barriers, and inclusion for students with disabilities

Flores, Miguel

Unequal access to work-integrated learning: misalignment, barriers, and inclusion for students with disabilities

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Flores, Miguel (2026) Unequal access to work-integrated learning: misalignment, barriers, and inclusion for students with disabilities. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management. pp. 1-16. ISSN 1360-080X

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2026.2700687

Abstract

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is central to higher education strategies for strengthening university-to-work transitions; however, access and participation remain uneven. This study examines barriers to, and facilitators of, work placement participation for students with disabilities in Irish higher education. Drawing on survey data from Disability Office and Career Office managers, complemented by student-reported experiences, it adopts a mixed-methods approach combining composite indices and thematic analysis. The findings reveal a systematic misalignment between the domains in which barriers are most frequently reported (employer and structural) and those in which support is most developed (primarily institutional and student-focused). The analysis also identifies work placement type (compulsory, professionally mandated, and optional) is a key institutional condition shaping access and participation. The study conceptualises WIL as a system characterised by misalignment across domains, reflecting the distribution of responsibilities across institutions, workplace, and regulatory actors, and highlights the need for greater coordination to support inclusive pathways.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Work-integrated learning; students with disabilities; higher education policy; inclusion; university-to-work transition
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education R Medicine > Diseases > Disabilities H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare > Discrimination L Education > LC Special aspects / Types of education > Vocational Education
Divisions:	School of Business and Social Sciences > Staff Research and Publications
Depositing User:	Tamara Malone
Date Deposited:	24 Jul 2026 13:56
Last Modified:	24 Jul 2026 13:56
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/9484

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