Work Based Learning: Gaining Real Life Experience and Employability Skills

This report discusses the concept of work based learning and its importance in gaining real life experience and employability skills. It covers the workplace skills acquired from the module, such as self-assessment, social and emotional intelligence, and reflective writing. It also outlines the skills planning to develop for future job roles, including team working, marketing management, leadership, problem-solving, and finance management.

Work Based Learning

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
What I have learned in the module:.............................................................................................3
The workplace skills which have acquired from the module......................................................5
Skills planning to develop future job role....................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Work based learning is educational method that allow learner to gain knowledge with real life
experience, this help them to sharpen their employability skills. WBL is one of the most effective
strategy adopted by university to help student in crafting ability to work in business environment.
This module is based on business environment which include working of learner in messy
situation faced by business (Andresen, Boud and Cohen 2020). This report will discuss what
knowledge gained in this module and specific workplace skills that have being acquired. At last,
this report will discuss skill development plan for future job requirement.
MAIN BODY
What I have learned in the module:
In this module, I have learned concept of work based learning and understand its
importance. Work based learning simply means educational strategy that allow learner to
sharpen their skills with real life experience, almost every university or colleges adopt this
method mainly for specific subjects like business, law and tourism. Experience work in real life
not only help me to become confidence but this allows me to explore employability and messy
business situation, I have gain enough knowledge to become employee in a company. With the
help of work based learner, I not only gain knowledge, but I am slowly applying these skills to
professional as well as personal life. While encountering with work based learning, I have
examined importance of work based learning. For example; through work based learning, I have
become more aware about career, I always look for opportunity that will push me to become
more effective in life. Work based learning helped me in becoming perfect for workplace which
means this help me to sharpen my employability skills (Assiter, 2017).
During this module, I have gained knowledge in crafting development plan including
personal and professional development plan. PDP simply means those activities which I need to
analyse and perform to sharp my already existing skills for example communication skills, this
plan is really powerful if a learner have ability to follow these intended activities then they can
achieve their target goals and objectives. I have ability to design my own personal development
plan and analyse those skills which will be beneficial in the process. It is very clear that PDP is
action plan that allow individual to achieve their intended goals but leaner can modify these plan
in the middle of the process, there are certain skills which I have modified in the process because
I felt need of these skills (Karpicke, 2017). On the other hand, I have gained knowledge about

SWOT analysis. This tool help me to examine my strength, weakness, opportunity and threat that
revolve around me.
In this module, I have gained knowledge in skills analysis and self assessment. This
module help me to understand concept of self assessment, this simply means judging my own
work on the basis of reflection allowing me to become more perfect in the process. Later in this
module, I have learned importance of belbin, belbin team role allow me work in team and push
me to work effectively with diverse culture (Knapper and Cropley, 2021). Later in this module I
have understood social and emotional intelligence and its importance in the career development
process, these skills allow me to become socially aware and use my emotional intelligence to
work in diverse culture. It is very clear that emotional intelligence is one of the most important
skill of leader which allow them to lead people with emotional connect. During this module, I
have gained certain learning style that allow me to learn different key area in effective way.
In this module, I have gained knowledge in reflective practice and writing in the
workplace. This module helped me to use reflective model such as Kolb, Gibbs and other. These
modules allow me to carefully reflect upon my self and the way of learning specific subject.
Reflective practice is crucial in the workplace, this allows me to craft experience that highlight
weak area and problem that might occur during working hours. During this module, I have
understood that reflection is very important in understanding strength, weakness, value and
interest. I have use reflection model to develop understanding for working environment and how
to position them in the workplace. With Gibbs reflection cycle, I have encountered certain
weakness which was not noticeable by me, this model allows me to explore six important stages.
During this module, I have gained knowledge in crafting professional CV and addressing
professional interview effectively. During this module, I have understood use of social media
platform in career development process, social media like LinkedIn is one of the best website to
design professional profile. I have used this website to craft professional portfolio that allow me
to apply for certain jobs that suit my ability and skills (Kokotsaki, Menzies and Wiggins, 2016).
It is very clear that LinkedIn is job searching web page or social media that allow person to
search for those jobs that suits best for them. I have understood that confidence will going to play
vital role in interview process because without confidence, professionalism will be impacted. I
have developed my professional CV and have uploaded on LinkedIn which will become
beneficial for me in career development process.

At last, in this module, I have gained knowledge and understanding in interview process
and examine its importance in career development. I have clear perspective regarding
professional interview that help me to capture desired job. Career interview need to be profession
because this decides whether person is ready for employment, or they still need to gain
knowledge, by giving interview person can understand their weak area and can sharpen their
communication skills as well. Career interview allow me to boost my confidence and help me to
become more stable in the process, it is very important for a person to perform and give
interview because this unlocks certain doors of opportunity and push them to focus on career.
During this module, I have sharpened my skills and identified different ability which will
be beneficial in the process, this module was beneficial for me in catching real life experience
while working under a company. Work based learning helped me in gaining knowledge and
marking those weak area which will become barrier in smooth career process. After completion
of this module, I have developed ability to reflect upon work based learning activity and analyse
roles and responsibility in the workplace (Rutina and Soika, 2020). I have developed action for
future job role and analyse those skills required in the process, this module helped me to craft
employability skills which include communication skills, critical thinking skills and problem
solving skills. In future job role, I have to develop some important skills as well such as
leadership skills.
The workplace skills which have acquired from the module
Work based learning is an educational strategy or technique which helps an individual
student to grow and develop themselves in accurate manner. According to this concept, I also
want to enhance my educational and professionalism skills from which it will be very helpful for
me in the future career pathway. As, I learned many things in the academic session which makes
me believe to learn and improve my ability and skills in effective manner which will give me a
good academic result and also a good professional life (Farashahi, and Tajeddin, 2018). In the
academic session, I had learned various things like importance of work based learning and its
concept, reflective models, skills and self assessment, career interviews and even preparing a
good CV for the future growth. From all these learnings I get to understand that I am required to
improve and increase my abilities and skills for the future job roles. Skills are the kind of power
or strength an individual have in themselves likewise I also had different kinds of skills but still
requires to enhance them properly for the future growth.

From the module, I am able to understand the importance of the skills and can be able to
adopt the self assessment skill which helps me to understand my own strength and weak points
from which I can be utilized them at accurate place. By acquiring the self assessment skill I can
be able to evaluate my weak points as, I want to build my career in the business environment
areas where I am required to develop the business management skills (Mayuga, 2022). For being
a good business person at first I am needful to adopt the good communication skill which is the
first thing and activity a person starts with the another person to understand and grow their
business effectively. I am good at my communication skill but for the professional level I am still
required and needed to improve my communication skill in better manner so that it can be able to
convey my speech and ideologies at perfect way which will help me to grow and develop my
business accurately. By learning and adopting the self assessment skill I can be able to know my
weak point as I am required to improve my communication skill. Similarly, from the self
assessment skill I also able to understand the social and emotional intelligence skill which is very
essential for me to adopt for the future growth.
The social and emotional intelligence skill reflects and makes me to know about the
another person feelings and emotions by their talking way and body language which makes me
to understand their moods swings accurately (Shrivastava, 2019). Along with this, I am also able
to capture the knowledge of the learning styles which are of different kinds such as visual,
auditory, writing, reading and kinaesthetic. There are different kinds of learning styles which I
am able to adopt them accurately and can be able to understand its importance for me for the
career growth and development. From these learning styles I am able to acquire the learning skill
in various forms which help me to maximize my learning abilities where I can be able to grow
my future and professional life in perfect manner. In addition, from the module I am also able to
acquire the reflective writing skill which is quite good for me in the academics and even at
professional level.
This reflective skill help me to underlying the motivation and can make the smarter
choice for the another people which also build good my reputation. It improves my inner ability
of expressing my experience and my speech clearly from which I can be able to guide the
another person and can aware them from the incorrect activities and things and can help them to
take the correct path. From the module, I had acquired so many things and skills which is making
me to feel motivated and courageous that I can be able to grow my career in my respective job

roles (El-Tabal, 2020). I understand that work based learning is important for me to adopt and
enhance my skills which will be very beneficial for the future career and can able me to become
a good business person as I wanted to develop my career in business environment. For
developing my career in this field I was able to get the knowledge and skills from the module
where I had learned and adopted my skills in accurate manner and leads me to become a good
business person.
Skills planning to develop future job role
For the future growth, I had planned to develop different kinds of skills for the growth of
my career where I am required to adopt team working skill, marketing, leadership skill, problem
solving skill, financial management and business management skill which will be very helpful or
me in my future job role.
Team working: For the better future I am required to develop my team working skill which will
help me to connect with my colleges and clients in effective way and be able to do the working
process accurately. Team working is very efficient for the future growth of mine as in the
business field a good working of people can help each other to perform the task accurately and
can deliver effective outcome. By working together makes me to find out the perfect solution for
any obstacle occurred during the working assignment from which my collogues can help me to
resolve the problem and can lead me to supply the effective results (Arora, Joshi, and et.al.,
2022).
Marketing management: This factor or skill is very important in the business field as it helps
me to promote and advertise my business products and services in perfect way from which I can
be able to influence the maximum number of consumers. From the marketing skill, I can also be
able to understand the people need from our business and can deliver them by fulfilling their
requirements and expectations. Marketing skills is an ability to sell the business products which
will bring the good results and economy in the company and can provide the benefit to the
business and consumer as well. Seeking this skill will be very beneficial for me in the business
career path.
Leadership: I am needed and planning to develop my leadership skill which will be very useful
and productive for me to build my business at higher level. I wanted to be a business field job
responsibility where I can be able to express my talent and knowledge where I also required to
become a good leader in the surrounding (Lin, 2021). Leadership skill is important and beneficial

for me for the future job role as it will help to motivate the other people in the business company
and also makes them to share their ideologies and problems if any they are facing where I can
resolve them with good understanding and by taking the accurate decision for them. A good
leader is one who can lead and guide their collogues and work mates properly at right direction
and can help them with any obstacle which I want to become and requires to adopt the leadership
skill.
Problem-solving: To adopt and enhance these skills important and necessary for me as it will
help to resolve the problem any how. The good problem solving skill will also make my work
mates to trust em and can share their obstacle with me from which I can be able to resolve them
with good understanding and can provide the beneficial and correct solution. Along with this,
problem solving skill will also help me to resolve the issue of the consumers and can provide
them effective result and solution (Saptono, 2018).
Finance management: This skill plays a crucial role in the business environment where I am
required to adopt this financial skill with proper understanding. This skill will help me
throughout the budgeting and maintaining the financial areas where it will cover the cash flow
management, expenditure and all economic related things of the business which will allow me to
make a good economic system (Tseng, 2019). Adopting this skill will make me to conduct a
good and profitable business by arranging all the finance accurately and at correct place which
will help me in the future job role.
Organizational skill: This skill will help me to increase the productivity and performance of the
business in accurate manner and also help me to work effectively and efficiently. This skill will
also make me to become and adopt a professionalism in myself where I can be able to enhance
my growth in the future job role and can supply the effective outcome to the business. In my
opinion, I planned these different kinds of skills which I wanted to develop and enhance for the
better future growth of mine where I can be able to become a good and successful at my
professional level.
CONCLUSION
This report has discussed work based learning and its importance in the career
development process. Later this report has discussed what I have learned in this module and
provide key learning area which I have covered during this module for example; importance of
work based learning, personal development plans, skills analysis and self assessment including

Belbin team role. Later this report has discussed importance of social and emotional intelligence
and learning style and understand how professional interview, CV and social media like
LinkedIn become crucial in professional development. Later this report has discussed the
specific workplace skills which I have developed and acquired during this module. At last this
report has discussed other skills which I need to develop in getting future job role.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Andresen, L., Boud, D. and Cohen, R., 2020. Experience-based learning (pp. 225-239).
Routledge.
Arora, S., Joshi, K.A., and et.al., 2022. Communication Skills: An Integral Instrument for Data
Analysis in the Field of Research. In ICT Systems and Sustainability. (pp. 55-64).
Springer, Singapore.
Assiter, A., 2017. Transferable skills in higher education. Routledge.
El-Tabal, A.A.A., 2020. Soft skills and its impact on an organizational creativity-A field
study. Journal of Business and Retail Management Research.14(3).
Farashahi, M. and Tajeddin, M., 2018. Effectiveness of teaching methods in business education:
A comparison study on the learning outcomes of lectures, case studies and
simulations. The international journal of Management Education.16(1), pp.131-142.
Karpicke, J.D., 2017. Retrieval-Based Learning: A Decade of Progress. Grantee Submission.
Knapper, C.K. and Cropley, A.J., 2021. Lìelong Learning in Higher Education. routledge.
Kokotsaki, D., Menzies, V. and Wiggins, A., 2016. Project-based learning: A review of the
literature. Improving schools, 19(3), pp.267-277.
Lin, J., 2021. Positioning the research on skills for entrepreneurship through a bibliometric
analysis. Entrepreneurship Education. 4(4), pp.351-374.
Mayuga, G.P., 2022. Equipping Junior High School Students with Lifelong Learning Skills in
Technology and Livelihood Education. International Journal of Research in
Engineering, Science and Management. 5(1), pp.24-37.
Rutina, K. and Soika, I., 2020. Career Guidance for First-Year Students in Work-Based
Learning. In The Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference Rural
Environment, Education, Personality (REEP) (Vol. 13, pp. 441-449).
Saptono, A., 2018. Entrepreneurship education and its influence on financial literacy and
entrepreneurship skills in college. Journal of Entrepreneurship Education. 21(4), pp.1-
11.
Shrivastava, S.R. and Shrivastava, P.S., 2019. Teaching professionalism and leadership skills to
an Indian Medical Graduate. CHRISMED Journal of Health and Research. 6(2), p.112.
Tseng, H., Yi, X. and et.al., 2019. Learning-related soft skills among online business students in
higher education: Grade level and managerial role differences in self-regulation,
motivation, and social skill. Computers in Human Behavior.95, pp.179-186.
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