Requests for project submissions from community partners for Fall 2025 are currently open

MacEwan Work-Integrated Learning Opportunities

About WIL

More than the classroom. Learning doesn’t just happen in lecture halls.

Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) is an educational approach that integrates academic studies with authentic workplace experiences. WIL involves a partnership between a post-secondary institution, a host organization, and a student to provide meaningful, supervised learning in a professional setting. It emphasizes the application of classroom theory to real-world work, development of employability skills, and the cultivation of professional identity. Projects or placements are designed to reflect workplace demands, include structured engagement with supervisors, and connect students with career-related outcomes through competency-based activities and reflection.

Why get involved in WIL?

There are many ways that engaging with WIL can benefit community partner organizations. We believe the three best reasons for community partner organizations to take part in WIL with MacEwan are:

Our commitment to fostering the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge, resources, and services between the community and MacEwan faculty, staff, students, and alumni
Our commitment to developing and supporting WIL that has an impact in and with our community.
The fresh perspectives and innovative ideas that you would receive from our students. You would also have the opportunity to create a student talent pipeline, making it easier to hire entry-level positions.

Interested in engaging in WIL or have a question or ideas? Please connect with our central WIL office at wil@macewan.ca.

Supporting a WIL Experience

We are here to help you through the process of supporting students in WIL experiences. To set your students up for success, this site is dedicated to course-based WIL. Here are some best practices that you can plan to use:

Create a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive working environment. We can assist you and your organization in supporting diverse students in WIL experiences.
Provide a student orientation at the start of the WIL experience, introducing them to your organization and their team. Since is course-base WIL is primarily done in the classroom, this orientation meeting is a great time to establish communication preferences.
Discuss expectations for the WIL experience, including roles and responsibilities, company goals, establish communication frequency, plus any confidentiality requirements.
Provide direction and supervision by assigning a supervisor to the student.
Give regular feedback to your students to help them reflect on and develop their career-readiness competencies.
Commit to attending dedicated classtime touchpoints to review student progress.
Complete a feedback evaluation for our Office at the end of the experience, and provide closing feedback to your students.

Interested in being a Community Partner for Course-Based WIL?

View information about our courses that are currently seeking community partner projects by accessing the Request for Projects (RFP) below. If any of the RFPs align with your organization’s work and needs, you can submit your project description directly into the linked form.

If your organization has a need or challenge that doesn’t align with what’s listed, we are happy to work with you to find the right course fit and facilitate a course-based WIL experience.

WIL at MacEwan

At MacEwan, WIL is approached from a scaffolded framework to engage students in experiences appropriate to their current level of learning and experience. This approach progressively builds the student’s experience as they learn competency language, build career-readiness competencies, and develop their professional identity.

Types of WIL at MacEwan

Course-Based WIL: In this form of WIL, community partners engage students in projects that connect their course theory to the work and challenges of the community partner’s organization. By participating in this type of WIL, community partners are provided with evidence-based solutions and students get to apply their learning to real workplace tasks and challenges while building meaningful career-related experience.

Business Co-op: Students in the Bachelor of Commerce program can choose to take part in the co-op program. Co-op students alternate academic terms with paid work terms, building their understanding of their field while completing their degree.

Field Placements: Many programs at MacEwan offer a field placement course. Field placements provide students with a full-time or part-time, short term, intensive hands-on practical experience in a setting relevant to their subject of study. Field placement hours vary by program.

Clinical Practice/Placements: Many health-related programs include required clinical practice/placements, including in the Faculty of Nursing. Clinical placements involve work experience under the supervision of an experienced registered or licensed professional (e.g. preceptor) in any discipline that requires practice-based work experience for professional licensure or certification.

Page updated

Report abuse