Vancouver Island Work-Integrated Learning Partnership Program Launched
NANAIMO, CAMPBELL RIVER – Vancouver Island University and North Island College have joined forces to create Vancouver Island Work-Integrated Learning (VIWIL) to assist students and employers.
The “one-stop-shop” on-line hub provides a regional approach to enhancing work-integrated learning co-op and internship opportunities for students north of the Malahat, as well as boosting employer engagement. It includes a partnership with RBC Foundation and Mitacs to focus on rural employer needs.
VIWIL provides a regional approach to boosting employer engagement and enhancing work-integrated learning opportunities for students. VIU and NIC are collaborating to reach out to employers on Vancouver Island north of Victoria.
Brittany Parker
Brittany Parker, Interim Director of VIU’s Centre for Experiential Learning, notes “VIU and NIC offer different programs and working together means we can ensure a good match between our students and potential employers, so that the needs of both can be better met. “We are focused on developing closer connections with employers and our local chambers of commerce, providing supportive assistance and resources, and making it easier for employers to access a talented student pool to meet their needs.”
Both VIU and NIC recognized that a unique, special strategy for remote and rural employment opportunities was needed. They partnered with RBC Foundation and Mitacs, a national, not-for-profit organization that has been designing and delivering research and training programs in Canada for 20 years. Founded in 1999, as a Canadian Network of Centres of Excellence, the company has worked with 70 universities, 6,000 companies and federal and provincial governments. They have 25 offices across the country.
Funding from RBC Foundation and Mitacs has created a Business Development Specialist position that will collaborate with NIC and VIU to communicate with at least 50 employers, and offer them tailed support solutions to enable them to access student talent.
John Hepburn is CEO and Scientific Director of Mitacs
Mitacs CEO and Scientific Director John Hepburn states: “We are proud to contribute to promoting a full range of work-integrated learning opportunities for students on Vancouver Island, North of the Malahat. By equipping students with skills and experience, Mitacs hopes to foster research, innovation, job creation and, consequently, to strengthen the community.
“We are only able to do this work thanks to the partnership with VIU, NIC and RBC Foundation, and the support of the federal and provincial governments.”
Approximately 90 percent of mid and north Vancouver Island businesses have less than 20 employees, meaning employers don’t typically have much extra time or resources to hire and mentor students.
VIWIL’s new online hub will provide a place for employers to promote their job postings to VIU and NIC students, while providing access to important information on student funding programs and assistance, including every aspect of hiring a work-integrated learning student, all the way from creating job descriptions to arranging interviews and onboarding.
The introduction of VIWIL coincides with a very difficult time for many small and mid-sized businesses that are struggling valiantly to keep their doors operating within the social distancing restrictions imposed during the COVID 19 pandemic. Many companies have had to find new ways to conduct commerce and remain operational.
Students can often provide a new, fresh perspective and help companies adapt quickly to new, remote and digital methods of doing business, and play a key role in the Vancouver Island economy while doing so. Job opportunities provide the students with valuable work experience that can often turn into long-term job opportunities with the companies they assist, and improve their job prospects after graduation.
Anita Budisa-Bonneau is NIC’s coordinator of work-integrated education
Anita Budisa-Bonneau, NIC’s coordinator of work-integrated education, says “Active participation in work-integrated learning has never been so important for the future of our workforce and our economic recovery.
“Work-integrated learning opportunities such as co-ops and internships give students relevant work experience in their field, which helps them make a successful leap from their studies into the workplace.”
For more information, visit www.viwil.ca.
