WILKOP | Forschungsprojekt

City of Vienna Competence Team for Work Integrated Learning – Connectivity-oriented Internship Didactics (WILKOP)

Internships are a central component of education at universities of applied sciences. They enable students to apply theoretical knowledge in practice and strengthen their employability. At the same time, there are significant differences in quality: clearly defined learning objectives, systematic didactic support and transparent procedures for recording competence development are often lacking. Cooperation between academic institutions and companies is often insufficiently integrated, leaving valuable learning potential untapped.

This is the point where the WILKOP team steps in. It is developing a structured, institute-wide concept for professional internships that integrates and supports students, companies and lecturers alike.

Funding: City of Vienna MA23 – Economy, Labor and Statistics
Project period: 01.02.2026 to 31.01.2029
Project duration: 36 months

Gefördert von MA 23 Stadt Wien

Contact

Department of Management

Mag. (FH) Edmund Panzenböck, MA

Leiter Stadt Wien Kompetenzteam für Work Integrated Learning - Konnektivitätsorientierte Praktikumsdidaktik

Tel.: +43 690 40 476 125

Project Description

The WILKOP project aims to develop systematic, connectivity-oriented internship didactics that closely links academic institutions and practical workplaces. At the heart of the project are

the definition of clear competency goals,
the establishment of standardized evaluation processes and
structured support for students throughout all phases of the internship.

Students

Students are supported through preparatory workshops, individual competency analyses and targeted reflection formats. A digital e-portfolio documents their learning progress and promotes exchange with lecturers and company mentors. This makes the students’ competency development visible, traceable and systematically supported.

Academic institutions

Academic lecturers are provided with predefined frameworks to support the implementation of learning processes that span multiple locations. Practical manuals, templates and sample digital courses for the professional supervision of internships are made available.

Internship companies

Internship companies are actively involved. Training courses and supporting materials prepare company mentors specifically for their role as mentors to students’ individual learning processes. This fosters ongoing dialogue and enables active participation.

There is a particular focus on equal opportunities and diversity. Access to high-quality internships is often influenced by social, economic or gender-specific factors. WILKOP specifically addresses these differences. Clear competency grids and structured support processes create transparent criteria for the selection and evaluation of internships. Internship companies are sensitized to diversity issues and digital tools are designed to provide the best possible support for individual learning processes.

The project is based in the Department of Management and runs as a pilot in two study programs, where concepts are being tested in a practical setting. The findings will be incorporated into the institution-wide curriculum reform 2028. Cooperation with the Teaching & Learning Center (TLC) at FHWien der WKW ensures that the concepts developed are implemented sustainably and continuously refined.

Project Goals

WILKOP contributes significantly to the qualitative development of academic teaching. The central objectives are:

Systematic support for students in all phases of the internship, including preparation, implementation and reflection.
Improvement of the internship structure through clearly defined competence goals and standardized evaluation processes.
Strengthening cooperation between academic institutions and companies through targeted training and supporting materials.

Professionalizing the support provided by lecturers through handbooks, templates and digital sample courses.
Promoting equal opportunities and diversity to give all students—regardless of gender, social background or other diversity characteristics—equal opportunities for high-quality internships.
Optimal preparation for the job market through transparent skills development and targeted support.

Through this holistic approach, WILKOP strengthens the role of internships as an integral part of academic education and creates sustainable structures for quality-assured, fair and future-oriented practical integration.