into the WILderness

It's National WIL month for us here in Canada with this year's theme #WILinternational - tag it in your posts!! That means another virtual flight for me and this time my boarding pass lands me in Wollongong, Australia where the weather is lovely this time of year. On this episode I am joined by the wonderful Michelle Eady, Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of Wollongong Australia. We chat institutional frameworks for scaffolding WIL across degree, what's changed in the world of e-teaching and I pose the question "Is Higher Ed is prepping teachers to actually build WIL into their future classrooms or not?". Michelle's extensive background with Indigenous communities also provides invaluable insights on engaging with Indigenous students, building frameworks, having conversations and the most important aspects of WIL for everyone.

How do you celebrate the career of someone who has spent 36 years in the wilderness that is Work Integrated Learning? You dedicate an entire episode of your WIL podcast to them, that's how! On this episode I am joined by the one and only Scott Davis, who, after 36 years at the University of Waterloo is trading in his office for an Adirondack, his parking spot for a bike trail and his daily dose of meetings for some R&R. When you go from student to employee at the same institution, after a lengthy career you have a lot of stories to share and today we relive only a handful of those memories. He’s helped students navigate their career journeys for over three decades, aided in a marriage proposal for a former campus recruiter and even fell in love with, and married, a colleague. Most importantly, he was on the very first episode of this show! Today we chat early day challenges in WIL, involvement with multiple organizations and what lies on the road ahead. 

There’s something to be said about gaining actual experience in your field of study prior to graduating. It’s helpful on a number of levels; do I like this? Do I dislike it? Do I have a full understanding of what’s involved in this industry/sector? Are there other avenues I could explore or paths I could take? With some disciplines, it’s extremely difficult to get answers to these questions without WIL. There is perhaps no better example than in Psychology. You can’t sit down and assess patients as a student, you need certifications. It’s challenging, you end up working in those offices, but on the peripheral. Well at StFx in Antigonish, NS, they’re saying…not anymore! On this episode I explore an innovative WIL program where students in StFX's Applied Forensic Psychology program partner with the Correctional Service of Canada to obtain first hand experience working in their field.

As we near the end of 2022, I am joined once again by my amazing co-host Charlene Marion to recap the year that was! It's our very own top 10, CEWIL style. Tune in for a quick recap of our favourite highlights from the last 365 - all of which can be summarized in one word, EXCITING! There's a ton for me to be thankful for this holiday season, including the amazing team at CEWIL Canada and to all of you for continuing to listen and engage. Here's to a great 2022 and an even better 2023, we'll see you in the new year!

Since Feb. 2021, CEWIL Canada has been distributing funding nationwide through The CEWIL iHub! It operates as a centre of expertise that provides grant-based funding to enable and promote curricular work-integrated learning (WIL) focusing primarily on industry projects, entrepreneurial WIL, field placements and service learning. This partnership with the Government of Canada's Innovative WIL program includes $16.3 million to grow WIL across this country! So to kick off a new series of episodes, I will be sifting through the iHub vault and sharing the stories and WIL opportunities that have been created by some amazing WIL practitioners.

Have you ever wondered if you could study Biology, learn everything you can about human cells, viruses, disease, pack your lab coat in your backpack and head into the studio to help design...a video game??? On this episode I uncover the backstory that went into developing Cells at War, a collaborative educational biology-based video game project from George Brown College and McMaster University students. By bringing together students from multiple programs, different years of study and a wide array of skills, an innovate WIL opportunity was born.

It's not a secret that non-profit organizations (NPOs) stand to benefit from engaging in WIL just as much, if not more, than their for-profit counterparts. However there are a significant number of challenges that often emerge when partnering with NPOs or that prevent the partnership in the first place. This is further complicated the farther you get from a metropolitan hub that houses some NPO "head offices". What about Indigenous NPOs? Another layer of complexity. Add this all up and you've got quite the investigation on your hands - how do you navigate WIL in the Non-Profit Sector in Northern Canada? My guest this week just happened to do her PhD dissertation on that exact topic! On this episode we discuss partnering with NPOs, how to better prepare them for WIL, how to better prepare your students, the role WIL plays in prepping students for the future, and the role Indigenous NPOs feel they need to play. All this and I accept the fact that I will never play water polo.

A few episodes ago I went International for the first time and sat down with Dr. Trevor Gerhardt. On that episode he introduced me to an alternative learning pathway called Degree Apprenticeships – I said, why don’t we have these in Canada? Some things have an odd way of timing out as literally two days later I’m reading an article in the Toronto Star about how Degree Apprenticeships could solve Canada’s tech shortage. I’ve since brought up the concept with people in multiple industries including Electricity, Tourism, Manufacturing and Agriculture – their response is all the same; Where do I sign up for this? Well today we get answers to those questions, today we talk about Canadian Degree Apprenticeships or Work-Integrated Degree Programs.

For many practitioners in the WIL space there’s an underlying goal that by participating in WIL, students will discover a passion and/or find their way into the world of work. Strong evidence of this exists in co-op but other forms of WIL don’t have as direct a link. Now every once and a while it happens, a student connects with a community partner, and project, an internship host and an opportunity presents itself where that experience turns into a full time gig. On this episode I sit down with two guests from St. Thomas University (STU). One, a former student who turned WIL into a workplace and the other the Manager of Experiential Learning and Career Development who was once an International Student herself. Together we chat about the WIL journey of a student, using elective courses to explore options and long haired cats.

I've often heard stories about this WIL utopia where students from any program, any discipline can unite in one curricular course, work together, obtain course credit and benefit their community - all while developing and strengthening their skills, setting them up for their future after graduation. Turns out this ideal scenario exists at York University and it's called C4! On this episode I sit down with Danielle Robinson, Associate Professor and Co-Founder of C4 - The Cross-Campus Capstone Classroom to talk how it was built from the ground up, how she obtained faculty buy-in, what a typical semester looks like and much much more. If you're into innovative WIL, don't miss this one!!

Explaining experiential learning and work integrated learning is not as simple as one may think. The approach and way you do it must be tailored to your audience; students, faculty, employers, community partners. On this episode I dive into how we talk about WIL and uncover an approach that is resonating with students - at least those born before the year 2002. Is it possible that the three critical components of experiential learning, academic content, an authentic experience, and reflection can be closely linked to three highly powerful magical objects?

25,000+ students, 7100+ employers, 60+ countries. The University of Waterloo boasts the largest cooperative education program in the world! We're going big to kick off National Co-op and WIL month here at CEWIL. On this episode I explore how Waterloo grew from its co-op roots in 1957 to the machine it is today. It hasn't come without its fair share of changes and challenges including a large department reorganization and my guest walks me through how his team navigated this journey. We also chat about co-op fees, the emergence of virtual work terms, virtual site visits and the future of cooperative education.

I've discussed a number of barriers to work-integrated learning on previous episodes, but this one gets to the very core especially when it comes to course-based WIL. Faculty members and instructors typically hold the keys to their own courses and introducing a new WIL component takes time and thoughtful consideration. It also can require assistance, from another staff member, a community partner or a combination of the two. On this episode I dive into a handful of barriers that presented themselves at a research-heavy institution when the goal was set to get 100% of management students at least one WIL experience before graduation. Apologies to Matt Damon, we ran out of time.

It's the age old question...well maybe not "age-old" but it's been floating around for a while; does the number of work experiences and WIL opportunities lead to greater employability in students? This week I revisit the topic of competency development and my guest helps unpack some of his latest research in the attempt to answer that question. Is it an exact science? Does more WIL mean more job opportunities? Or is it deeper, more complex than that? Is it, perhaps, more deeply rooted in lifelong learning and the notion of quality over quantity? 

Despite all the planning and expectations ironed out well in advance, there are times when a community partner or employer situation just isn't working out. Sometimes you can ride it out until the end of the course or work term, but other times require an intervention and in some cases, a termination of that relationship mid project or mid work term - often an tough conversation to have! On this episode my guest and I explore multiple examples of when this has happened to us and offer up some strategies and best practices if you find yourselves dealing with this difficult situation.

Irish novelist Samuel Beckett once said "Words are all we have", well on this episode I dive into one of those words that seems to be a fixture in the Work Integrated Learning space; Placement or Placements. Starting with the definition of the word and moving along to why this word can lead to assumptions, misunderstandings and potential issues, especially when it comes to Co-operative Education. So let's take a leap forward and stop using this word...just like the leap my guest took while bungee jumping in New Zealand!

WE'RE BAAAACK! It's our first episode of 2022 and we're picking up right where we left off. This week I sit down with Trucking HR Canada to talk about the recent federal vaccine mandate on Canadian truck drivers, the 23,000 job vacancies across trucking and logistics, student talent opportunities and improving HR best practices across the industry. 

Growing plants in your backyard is something, growing careers in the agriculture sector is something else! On this episode I sit down with the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) to talk about their AgriTalent program and the Ag-tech industry. We chat about the challenges finding good talent, the intense labour shortage the industry is facing, and how to expand student awareness to other parts of the sector.

At CEWIL we have defined 9 types of curricular WIL. While they all look a little different at each institution, there is consistency at the core of each type. This episode dives into the world of Community and Industry Research and Projects (CIRPS) to explore best practices, cultivating and nurturing community relationships and discovering what makes this type of WIL so interesting and innovative. We also have a healthy conversation about pet ownership and how many shoes is too many shoes!

Championing the end-to-end career of environmental professionals is no small task. On this episode I sit down with ECO Canada to talk about their Student Work Placement Program, training and mentorship and the value of obtaining program accreditation.

CEWIL Canada has seen a lot of changes over the past two years! As the organization prepares for it's Annual General Meeting (AGM) it's time to reflect back on these changes and look forward. On this episode I sit down with the current President and President-Elect of CEWIL Canada to chat about challenges, rewarding moments, insights for those looking to get involved, celebrity cooking and e-gaming.

If you want insights into an industry that literally keeps the lights on in this country - this one is for you! On this episode I sit down with Electricity HR Canada (EHRC) to talk about their Empowering Futures program, discuss the unique competency framework they have developed, and take a deep dive into the electricity industry and the vast array of opportunities that exist for students and new grads - they don't stop at the meter!

At CEWIL we have defined 9 types of curricular WIL. While they all look a little different at each institution, there is consistency at the core of each type. This episode dives into the world of Community Service Learning (CSL) and Community Engaged Learning (CEL) to uncover some of the truths behind this type of learning, explore the nuances of the terms themselves and question if they are truly a type of WIL or not. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted a number of industries across the country and the tourism & hospitality industry is near, if not at the top of that list. The challenge now is how to address the labour crisis this industry is facing. On this episode I sit down with one of the newest Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) partners, Tourism HR Canada, and talk funding opportunities, COVID impact, empathy, workplace culture and most importantly - where WIL fits in this industry.

WIL often leads to the development of new skills or the strengthening of existing ones. The challenge for students is realizing this in the moment and taking the time to reflect. On this episode we explore the challenges that arise for students when trying to articulate skills and competencies on their resumes and during interviews, exploring solutions and different strategies for WIL practitioners and educators along the way. 

Guests; Kerri Zold - Manager, Career Development and Experiential Learning, University of Windsor, ON // Laura Fyfe - Skills Translation Coordinator, Brock University, ON

Join Dan Lonergan as he takes a deeper dive into the world of Work Integrated Learning (WIL).  Before diving into WIL, we take a step back and talk about what WIL is, what it means, who’s involved, and what it means for industry and WIL partners. Guests Dr. Nancy Johnston - Past President of WACE, former Vice Provost, Students, Simon Fraser University, BC // Scott Davis - Faculty Relations Manager, University of Waterloo, ON