WILNZ Award Winners 2025

Allister McLay Best Paper Award
 The late Allister McLay was a valued member of the WILNZ (then NZACE) community. This award for the best paper at each conference was established in his honour, and acknowledges papers with important and relevant perspectives on work-integrated learning. The winners of this award in 2025 are Robyn Johnston and Helen Mataiti of Otago Polytechnic.

WILNZ Collaboration Award
This award is in recognition of distinguished and effective collaboration by an external organisation with a higher education institution to further WIL. The winners of this award for 2025 are Te Aroha Noa Community Services.

WILNZ Innovation and Excellence Award
This award recognises innovative and sustained excellent practice of WIL by an individual, a work team, or through a WIL programme. The winners of this award in 2025 are the Massey University Social Work Field Education Team.

WILNZ Service Award
This award recognises outstanding service and contribution to WILNZ operations or a WILNZ project over the previous two years. The winner of this award in 2025 is Alice Hodder, from Victoria University of Wellington.

WILNZ Awards 2026

WILNZ Innovation and Excellence Award

This award recognises innovative and sustained excellent practice of WIL by an individual, a work team, or through a WIL programme.

WILNZ Collaboration Award

This award is in recognition of distinguished and effective collaboration by an external organisation with a higher education institution to further WIL.

WILNZ Fellow Award

This substantive award is in recognition of an individual who has achieved and sustained excellent and distinguished academic contribution to WIL nationally and have impacted the international WIL community.