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. 

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Developing Women Leaders in the Digital Economy

Women in Communications and Technology (WCT), in collaboration with the Future Skills Centre and the Diversity Institute, implemented the Roberta Bondar STEM Career Development Program and, more recently, the Opening Doors program. These initiatives aim to equip women with the necessary skills, mentorship and networking opportunities to succeed in leadership roles.
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Scale Learning Lab

The Scale Learning Lab was developed to address the hospitality sector’s ongoing talent shortages through an innovative, industry-led training model. By combining digital learning and hands-on training, the Learning Lab provides hospitality professionals with the skills needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving sector.
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Built to scale? Microcredentials use among digital professionals

Using a novel labour market information source through LinkedIn profile data, this report assesses the current uptake of microcredentials in two digitally-intensive occupations: data scientists and software professionals.
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