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. 

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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.

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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

Research

Advancing Pathways to Neurodivergent Self-Employment

For many neurodivergent professionals who encounter barriers in traditional workplaces, self-employment is more than an alternative. It can provide a way to work that aligns with their needs, draws on their strengths, and reduces environmental stressors. Yet many supported employment programs do not routinely include self-employment as a career option for clients.
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Project

On the Frontlines of Crisis Training Program

Weston Frontlines Centre created the Frontlines of Crisis Training Program, a 15-week hybrid training program to prepare young people with skills relevant for food production and distribution in the non-profit sector. 
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Research

Newcomer pathways to employment: Canadian Diversity Magazine special issue

We outline the important role immigration plays in economic growth and in addressing skills and labour shortages, and examine Canada’s role in developing innovative approaches to address global humanitarian crises.
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