Institutes of higher education are expected to transform students into the workforce with the required knowledge, skills, attitude, and capabilities. Recent trends in the higher education system across the world suggest that education should contribute to the employability of their students and send them to the job market with the necessary skills to perform their duties effectively. Building a future-ready workforce across industries provides a sustainable competitive advantage to the institutions. Employers seek graduates who can quickly become productive members of a business or an organisation. Work Integrated Learning (WIL) and experiential learning are recognised as significantly contributing to graduates’ transition to the workplace. WIL falls within the ambit of educational activities that integrate academic knowledge with its practical application in the workplace. This paper attempts to study WIL practices adopted by higher education institutions of GCC countries and various stakeholders to benefit from such programmes. The critical question is whether WIL has become a panacea to employability and increases job opportunities for graduates. The quantitative and primary data-based paper concentrates on understanding and explaining WIL practices in higher educational institutions across GCC countries. © 2023, Gulf Research Centre Cambridge.
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