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

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Governing Sustainable Municipalities

The Governing Sustainable Municipalities project assessed the current state of municipal preparedness in Saskatchewan for economic, social, and environmental sustainability. The project also engaged stakeholders to identify barriers and opportunities for Saskatchewan municipalities to enhance sustainability in their communities.
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Career Development Professional Centre

The Career Development Professional Centre (CDPC), led by the Canadian Career Development Foundation (CCDF), is testing the effectiveness of a national body to unify Canada’s career development sector by providing foundational training, fostering professionalization, and encouraging collaboration among Career Development Professionals (CDPs).
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Research

The Impact of Remote Work on Engineering

The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers sought to understand the impact on productivity and work culture of remote work in this industry, whether some equity seeking groups are disadvantaged, and to identify organizational strategies for adapting.
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