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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

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Research

Indigenous Institutesexternal link icon

  • April 2020
Fifty years on, many forms of Indigenous-centred post-secondary education (PSE) exist in Canada. All of them aspire to help Indigenous students succeed. But to date, no one has done a comprehensive study of Indigenous-centred post-secondary education in Canada.
Research

The Future of Work: Addressing Skill Imbalances in Canada

  • December 2024
  • Signal49 Research (formerly The Conference Board of Canada)
We’ve lost our balance. Skills shortages were especially acute during the post-pandemic recovery. A Statistics Canada survey from 2022 revealed that over half of employers were grappling with skills gaps and more than two-thirds were struggling to find candidates with the necessary skills.
1 Related Reports
Research

Strengthening Social and Emotional Skills in Adults: the Learning Experience at Canadian Collegesexternal link icon

  • April 2022
We know that social and emotional skills (SES)—such as communication, collaboration, and leadership—are critical for life success. Yet the bulk of programs that teach SES end after high school. We continue developing SES in adulthood—through informal experiences like employment, co-ops, volunteering, extracurriculars, and caregiving, as well as formal instruction. These skills are important. So how are post-secondary institutions teaching them?
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