Work-integrated learning (WIL) is an expanding international strategy aimed at bolstering the employability of higher education students. With WIL participation on the rise, there is a growing focus on fostering wellbeing during WIL. Drawing on the sociomaterial theoretical framework actor-network theory (ANT) and the WIL Wellbeing Framework, this paper examines data from semi-structured interviews with 15 university students to explore wellbeing practices. The findings illustrate the relational nature of wellbeing, where social, textual and material relations come together to enact practices as students prepare for, encounter and acquiesce to wellbeing stressors. Students draw upon a diverse range of tools to create their own assemblages of support. Importantly, the findings highlight that students’ use of university services for wellbeing are limited, with preference shown instead for peer support and personal coping strategies. This study reveals wellbeing to be constantly emerging in practice, and often enacted with little input from university support services and actors. © 2025 International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning. All rights reserved.
Author Keywords
Index Keywords
