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It is widely recognised that a lack of work experience can impede university students seeking graduate employment and that many tertiary students face significant barriers in securing work experience. Drawing on existing research, this article analyses these barriers, and considers the consequences of this inequity for affected individuals as well as for broader Australian society and the economy. The article proposes various ‘do-able’ reforms to the regulation of work integrated learning in tertiary education and student-finance schemes which would go some way to reducing these barriers.

This article extends current understandings of regulation of tertiary education, in particular, work experience undertaken by tertiary students, by contributing a ‘law in practice’ analysis of the effect of the existing regulatory regime on work integrated learning practice within Australian universities. It considers how Australian universities are responding to, implementing, or overlooking the formal regulatory framework regarding work experience placements. The analysis is informed by data gathered in a series of 68 semi-structured interviews conducted with individuals from 15 universities around Australia and provides unique insights into how Universities are acting as regulators in the broad sense of the word. Understanding the enforcement of educational regulation is important, because it is the only national tool directed to ensuring work experience opportunities afford real learning which will facilitate skills development and increase future employment opportunities and are equitable and safe for student participants.