Career Express: Earn while you learn

College is not only about lectures, classes and exams; and it shouldn't be. It is a chance for you to grow in many ways - as a scholar, person and professional. Besides, as a high school graduate you may have picked your college majors based on more academic factors. College offers the opportunity to re-examine these decisions through learning from work. Let us see how some of the countries integrate such experiences.

Shyamala Elango
UK: Sandwich programme
At sandwich programmes, a year of your study will include working in an industry. If you opt for a sandwich programme, duration of the course will normally be extended by a year, where after two years of study you will take up a placement. You will come back in the final year to finish your studies at the same university. The advantages include salary equivalent to a full-time employment, waiver of college tuition during this time of your course, and most importantly, the experience and practical exposure gained will aid you immensely during your post study employment search. Often, students come back with a return offer of employment too.
US: Curricular Practical Training  (CPT)
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is an off-campus employment option for F-1 students when practical training is an integral part of the curriculum or academic programme. It could be defined as an internship offered by employers who partner with the university. There are certain conditions that need to be met to be eligible for CPT, for example, a job offer should be in a field related to your major and employment must be an integral part of your degree programme or a requirement for a course for which you receive academic credit. But check whether your CPT eats into your OPT opportunity (the 12-month work authorisation after graduation). Ideally, you should have some CPT during the course and still have the OPT left when you graduate.
Canada: Co-op
Very much like the UK sandwich programmes, the co-operative education combines academic study with alternating work opportunities. The practical experience will be related directly to the field of study. This alternating pattern with a break from school every four months, allows students to test their knowledge learned in classrooms in practical scenarios. This gives students the opportunity to network and receive feedback from employers. The only slight disadvantage is the time consumed during the academic period for co-op employment for applying, attending interviews, etc.
Australia: Work Integrated Learning (WIL)
Work Integrated Learning may be paid or unpaid work experience. In the past, it was mainly accounting, law and consulting firms that participated in these programmes. However, more and more industries are now getting involved. Companies are looking for top talent to remain competitive in the industry. You will be assigned a supervisor to guide you and during your time in the programme, the institution and workplace will be in regular contact to track your progress. WIL may or may not be a part of the curriculum. It is always recommended to have a detailed check regarding your particular institution's WIL policy before deciding on where to start your higher education journey.
So, there are opportunities to pepper your learning with some actual work experience. Take advantage of it.
Shyamala Elango is Director, Educational Services at Inner Universe. She can be reached at elango.shyamala@inneruniverse.org.