The focus of this workshop is in meeting the needs of employers and students, two essential issues for effective and successful operation of work-integrated learning (WIL) programs. Based largely upon the 2001 WACE publication, An Employers' Guide To Work-Integrated Learning (click for an abbreviated PDF version ) authored by the Presenter, this workshop presents results of student and employer surveys and discusses their implications for effective WIL program design and operation. Participants, drawn from both the corporate sector and WIL institution professionals, will learn more about what employers and students see as essential features of successful WIL programming. Some of the topics covered include:

• top reasons employers begin hiring WIL students
• barriers employers face in implementing WIL programs
• employers' most preferred WIL program design features
• best practices employers use in optimizing their WIL hiring
• top 10 student preferences for successful work terms

This workshop would benefit employers interested in improving their existing WIL hiring and in building stronger relationships with institutions that operate WIL programs. It would also benefit WIL professionals interested in improving their marketing strategies through learning more about employer needs and preferences in WIL program features.

Here is an example of the workshop agenda .

If you have any questions about this workshop or are interested in having your institution host this workshop, please contact Rick Reeve at rsreeve@shaw.ca

Future and past workshops:

June 14, 2004: Pre-conference workshop for WACE 2004 International Symposium on Work-Integrated Learning,
University of Trollhatten/Uddevalla, Trollhatten, Sweden

December, 16, 2003: Conference workshop for the 4th Conference on Placements Abroad, IAESTE (France) Paris, France

December, 8, 2003: Hosted by United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, U.A.E

December, 11, 2002: Hosted by Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada

December, 3, 2003: Hosted by the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada