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Partners
Calgary Economic Development
Locations
Alberta

Additional Partners

Mount Royal University, University of Calgary, Ambrose University, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, St. Mary’s University, Bow Valley College, Magnet, Orbis Communications

Topics
Future Skills
Pathways to Jobs
SME Adaptability
Work-integrated Learning
Home| Innovation Projects|Project

Calgary Regional WIL Secretariate and Portal 

Work-integrated learning (WIL) gives people the chance to apply the skills they have learned in the classroom while gaining on-the-job experience and pathways to meaningful careers in  emerging, high-demand sectors. 

Evaluation Report:
Work Integrated Learning Evaluation Report

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Through FSC’s $2.9 million investment, Calgary Economic Development (CED) is developing a one-stop, online portal for WIL opportunities in the region. These paid work placements focus on gaining hands-on experience from industry experts over the course of a student’s academic studies. Placements can be co-ops, internships, applied research projects or field placements.

person using a laptop and writing in a notebook

This innovative model and central platform will support economic growth and inclusion through WIL for post-secondary students, and will benefit jobseekers, employers and the Alberta economy.This initiative will also make WIL more accessible to non-traditional participants such as mature learners, youth, and organizations not typically connected to post-secondary institutions. 

CED and multiple local stakeholders have come together to form a consortium with technology partners Magnet and Orbis Communications, in order to demonstrate the viability of deploying a regional WIL model and to identify and address issues around broader applicability for communities and regions across Canada. 

This work is immediately contributing to Calgary’s economic transformation, while also providing insights for a more systematic way for employers to collaborate with post-secondary institutions. 

Featured Projects

Group of women sitting at a table on their laptops
Research

Economic Equality in a Changing World: Removing Barriers to Employment for Women

  • September 2020
  • Public Policy Forum, Diversity Institute
Action is needed to alleviate gender barriers. This report summarizes existing research and prevailing issues surrounding gender inequality, including those exacerbated by COVID-19, and points to further research that needs to be done on initiatives to reduce gender inequalities.
1 Related Reports
University student friends working together on campus.
Project

FUSION: Future Skills Innovation Network for Universities

  • December 2025
  • Concordia University, Simon Fraser University, University of Calgary, University of Saskatchewan, Carleton University, Memorial University of Newfoundland
The program focused on building metacognition (awareness or understanding of one’s own thinking), communication and problem-solving skills through flexible, experiential and reflective learning delivered in co-op programs across humanities, social sciences and STEM disciplines.
3 Related Reports
Woman looking at computer and coding.
Research

A Foundation For the Next Normal: Outlook of Technology Adoption & its Impact in the Canadian Workplace

  • December 2020
  • Diversity Institute, International Data Corporation
This document reflects results on a prospective future before a seismic shift occurred. The research we present here is no longer a good indication of what is to come, but a good indication of how things were.
1 Related Reports
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