OTTAWA,
ON, April 29, 2024 /CNW/ - The Business +
Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) is pleased to announce nine
new work-integrated learning (WIL) partnerships. Thanks to generous
support from the Government of Canada, post-secondary institutions and
industry organizations will be able to use innovative approaches to
increase access to experiential learning for students and employers
often left out of traditional WIL.
These new partnerships will create 5,000 WIL opportunities that
are more flexible and accessible than traditional placement-based
internships or co-ops. Innovative WILs are especially beneficial
for small- and medium-sized employers and rural businesses, which
have capacity and resource challenges when hiring students. They
also serve students who are underrepresented in WIL, including
students in Arts, Indigenous students, students in remote
communities, and students with time or financial barriers to
traditional placements.
"With this partnership with BHER, our government is creating
opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience that is both
flexible and adaptable for Canada's next-generation work force. By
providing alternatives to traditional learning placements, such as
industry projects and telework alternatives, Canadian businesses
and employers will have a greater access to a diversified talent
pool. Our government will continue to invest in innovative
solutions to connect students and employers to strengthen
Canada's productivity."
- The Honourable François-Philippe
Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
"Innovative approaches to WIL, like industry projects,
bootcamps, micro-credentialing, virtual reality, and more, help
close the gap for students and employers who aren't able to do
traditional WIL," says Val Walker,
CEO of BHER. "These new partnerships play a key role in BHER and
the Government of Canada's
commitment to ensuring 100% WIL for every post-secondary student in
Canada."
To date, BHER has delivered over 58,000 WIL opportunities in
partnership with over 200 industry organizations and post-secondary
institutions across the country, strengthening talent pipelines for
Canadian employers.
To schedule an interview with BHER, please contact
comms@bher.ca.
Connect with our new
partners:
- ECO Canada will deliver a series of net-zero bootcamps
and other programming tailored to the regionally specific concerns
of Quebec, Yukon, and PEI, aimed at attracting young
green talent to these regions.
Media Contact: Aaron Wilson,
awilson@eco.ca
LinkedIn: @ecocanada
Website: https://eco.ca/
- Georgian College is partnering with the Barrie Chamber of Commerce to develop a model
for small- to medium-sized employers to create rural WILs,
Participating employers will achieve a Changemaker Workplace
designation.
Media Contact: Lauren Wild,
Lauren.Wild@georgiancollege.ca
LinkedIn: @georgiancollege
Website: https://www.georgiancollege.ca/
- Hamilton Chamber of
Commerce will build a new consortium with McMaster University and Mohawk
College that empowers local small- and medium-sized
employers to create 210 WIL opportunities and expand future
capacity for WIL.
Media Contact: Mike Hardill,
m.hardill@hamiltonchamber.ca
LinkedIn: @hamilton-chamber-of-commerce
Website: https://www.hamiltonchamber.ca/
- Lambton College is
partnering with long-term care homes and stakeholders across
Ontario to create a standardized
onboarding and micro-credential training program for 1,500
students.
Media Contact: Jamie Kloet,
jami.kloet@lambtoncollege.ca
LinkedIn: /school/lambton-college-sarnia/
Website: https://www.lambtoncollege.ca/
- McMaster University is
partnering with the Casualty Actuarial Society - Ontario Branch to deliver the Actuarial Career
Test Drive Program, which will provide students with the
opportunity to solve real-world problems with real data submitted
by insurance companies.
Media Contact: Danielle Gallant,
gallad1@mcmaster.ca
LinkedIn: mcmaster-faculty-of-science/
Website: https://www.mcmaster.ca/
- Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech) aims to
increase Indigenous student participation across all WIL programs
through enhanced support to employers, facilitating more active
employer involvement in WIL.
Media Contact: Emily Doer,
edoer@rrc.ca
LinkedIn: @red-river-college
Website: https://www.rrc.ca/
- TechAlliance of Southwestern
Ontario is partnering with Fanshawe College, Huron
University College, and the London
Chamber of Commerce to connect students to local small- and
medium-sized employers through curricular industry projects.
Media Contact: Farida Abdelnabi,
farida.abdelnabi@techalliance.ca
LinkedIn: /company/techalliance-of-southwestern-ontario/
Website: https://www.techalliance.ca/
- Wavemakers, in partnership with the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology,
Wilfrid Laurier University, and other
post-secondary institutions across Canada, will deliver 1,200 WILs using
Wavemakers' cutting-edge virtual reality platform.
Media Contact: Sabrina Bellissimo,
sabrina@wavemakers.network
LinkedIn: /school/wavemakersnetwork/
Website: https://www.wavemakers.network/en/home
- Work in Culture will partner with the University of Toronto Scarborough's Arts Management
programs to provide curricular WIL experiences to 350 undergraduate
arts students designed to help them navigate a wide range of career
options.
Media Contact: Naomi Stokes,
naomistokes@workinculture.ca
LinkedIn: /company/workinculture
Website: https://workinculture.ca/
SOURCE Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER)