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. 

Download Report

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

Two women looking at a laptop screen
Research

Focus on the future of skills and work in a digital economy

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and FSC sponsored a stream of labour market research reports on Skills and Work in the Digital Economy.
skilled tradesperson wearing safety goggles works on a computer
Research

Training for Tomorrowexternal link icon

Transitioning to a low-carbon economy will bring changes to the Canadian workforce. The Conference Board of Canada, on behalf of the Future Skills Centre, is researching how measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will affect demand for skilled tradespeople in construction and how education and training programs can prepare to meet this demand.
Group of students collaborating over a computer sreen
Research

Measuring Social and Emotional Skills

Social and emotional skills (SES) play a critical role in the success of individuals and organizations. But, until now, there has been no comprehensive and integrated resource to identify and compare SES measurement tools. We released a new resource for users to measures social and emotional skills in adolescents and adults
View more