Reciprocity: Finding the Right Balance in Work-Integrated Learning

The debate surrounding financial support in work-integrated learning (WIL) has intensified. This paper explores whether paying all placement students is both sustainable and equitable. Through duoethnographic narratives from WIL educators, it examines contemporary experiences and perceptions of payment and value. For WIL relationships to be meaningful, agreements between students and organizations must be mutually beneficial. The paper examines how this mutuality might be achieved by rethinking the notion of ‘payment.’ Drawing on indigenous Māori knowledge systems of value, it introduces concepts of utu and koha, to shift focus from transactional payment to relational value. Embracing reciprocity in WIL fosters a spirit of collaboration and unity, emphasising the significance of relationships and shared commitments. Further embracement of the foundational frameworks associated with utu challenge traditional transactional mindsets, advocating for a more holistic, culturally sensitive, values-based approach to financial support in the context of learning and professional development.