The industry champion approach to developing work-based learning.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of using industry champions (ICs) to inform curriculum development for work-based learning and to probe their perceptions of and attitudes towards work-based learning. The research took place as part of a project that ran from 2009 to 2012. Design/methodology/approach – The research adopted a grounded theoretical framework. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews. Findings – The ICs had positive attitudes towards work-based learning which did not change significantly throughout the timeframe of the project. Their involvement was very useful with respect to curriculum development but less so for marketing and recruitment of learners. Research limitations/implications – The participant pool was small. Practical implications – The involvement of ICs in curriculum design of work-based learning is effective. Originality/value – This industry champion model of curriculum development is novel and identifies an effective way for academia to design bespoke work-based learning activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]