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

Group of textile students looking over samples of fabric.
Project

DMG Studio Startup Social Finance Resource Toolkit

There is a lack of representation of Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) women and 2SLGBTQ+ peoples in the games development industry. Marginalized communities need specific skills to succeed in this burgeoning sector of the economy. 
Overlapping image of a woman smiling and sad at work.
Project

National Accessibility Resources for Employers (NARE)

This project will create and share resources for employers in disability management on a national basis to improve processes and policies to engage, accommodate, and keep employees with disabilities.
Women in office with laptop
Project

North Forge Global Entrepreneurship Initiative

The North Forge Global Entrepreneurship Initiative aimed to address several key questions to enhance support for newcomers, particularly those involved in the Start-up Visa Program and highly qualified newcomers facing licensing barriers.
View more