Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate how the University of Johannesburg (UJ) humanities graduates experience work integrated learning (WIL) programmes. The study was guided by four research objectives. The first was to find out how UJ humanities graduates explain their reasons for participating in WIL. Secondly, what are the experiences of these graduates in interacting with prospective employers. Thirdly, what strategies do humanities graduates use to secure permanent employment at their WIL placements. Finally, in what ways does the WIL programmes improve the prospects of students finding employment after graduation. A sample of ten graduates was used to gather the data via in-depth interviews. The sample consisted of Sociology and Social Work postgraduates who have participated in mandatory WIL programmes. These are mainly individuals who have obtained their Honours degrees. The study results demonstrated that contrary to the WIL literature, graduates struggle to find employment more so after taking part in the WIL programmes. Further, the results revealed that mandatory unpaid WIL exposes students to exploitation, thus turning students into precarious labourers. It is worth noting that the results also indicated that none of the participants secured permanent employment at their WIL placements despite their efforts to do so. From the results of this study, further research is proposed to determine whether WIL programmes contribute to professional opportunities for humanities graduates.