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

Project

Inshore Fishery Development in the Qikiqtani Region of Nunavut

The Qikiqtani Region of Nunavut faces both significant opportunity and structural challenges as it seeks to expand community-based inshore fisheries. With isolated communities and a rapidly growing youth population, Qikiqtaaluk Corporation (QC) has prioritized creating accessible pathways into fisheries-related careers through hands-on learning, training, and internships.
Construction Worker
Research

Widening inequality: Effects of the pandemic on jobs and income

This report focuses on the overall impact of the pandemic, as well as more specific experiences such as lost hours of work, employment or income. It also looks at who was more likely to receive one or more of the emergency support benefits provided by the government, and how helpful these benefits have been.
Smiling man working from home, holding a notebook and engaging in a virtual meeting from his home office. Remote work concept.
Project

Health and Social Services Professionals’ Skills in Interprofessional Collaborative Practices in the Telehealth Context

This project focused on the challenges and necessary competencies for effective interprofessional collaboration in virtual care settings, which were highlighted by the rapid shift to virtual health care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
View more