About the Associate Provost, Co-operative and Experiential Education
Judene Pretti, PhD.
Interim Associate Provost, Co-operative and Experiential Education
University of Waterloo
Over the past two decades, Pretti has held three pivotal director roles within CEE, including serving as the inaugural director of the WatPD program, the first full-time director of the Work-Learn Institute, and most recently, director of the Strategic Enablement Team, where she led cross-functional teams in systems, technology, project management, data, communications, and digital experience.
Pretti is a respected researcher in work-integrated learning. For more than 14 years, she examined topics such as talent pipelines, employability and skill development. She has earned both a master’s and PhD in Management Sciences, and her research contributions include numerous publications, international collaborations and co-editing the Routledge International Handbook for Work-Integrated Learning.
Her leadership and research have been recognized through several prestigious awards. These include the Dr. Graham Branton Research Award from CEWIL Canada (2020), the Outstanding Professional Contribution Award from the World Association for Co-operative and Work-Integrated Education (2023), and the Ralph W. Tyler Award for outstanding and distinguished research in co-operative education and internships from the Co-operative Education and Internship Association (2024).
Pretti continues to advance Waterloo’s global reputation for excellence in co-operative and experiential education by strengthening research, partnerships, and innovation in work-integrated learning.
Introduction to Co-operative and Experiential Education
At the University of Waterloo, Co‑operative and Experiential Education (CEE) brings together students, faculty, staff, industry and community partners to prepare learners for an evolving and increasingly complex world of work. Grounded in global leadership in Co-operative Education, career development and work‑integrated learning (WIL), CEE equips and empowers learners to build skills, confidence, purpose and long‑term career resilience.
Our mission is to create experiences that strengthen the social, economic and cultural well-being of our communities, including on campus, across sectors and around the world. We advance this mission through evidence‑informed practice, meaningful partnerships and a commitment to equity, inclusion and belonging. By working side‑by‑side with employers, faculty, industry leaders and community organizations, we strive to ensure that every learner has access to high‑quality WIL opportunities and the support they need to thrive.
Through key partnerships, our teams deliver programs, services, research and operational infrastructure that make Waterloo’s WIL ecosystem one of the most impactful and globally recognized models.
Advancement and the Associate Provost's Office
The Associate Provost’s Office encompasses the executive officer, the administrative team, advancement and facilities. With the support of employers, alumni and donors, the advancement portfolio makes Co-operative Education and WIL more accessible and equitable for all students through donations and sponsorships. The administrative team, facilities staff and executive officer oversee departmental operations. This includes budgeting, strategic meetings and delegate visit arrangements, co-op student onboarding, functional workspace maintenance and other key responsibilities.
Centre for Career Development
As a leader in fostering purposeful career readiness, the Centre for Career Development (CCD) supports Waterloo undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in navigating their career journeys. This work supports students in self-reflection of their skills, values and what meaningful work looks like for them. It also guides them in learning about the labour market, using effective tactics to obtain work and further education (e.g., professional school) opportunities, and building resilient career management skills. Services and programming include virtual and in-person advising appointments, events (e.g., career fairs), workshops and resources (e.g., CareerHub). The CCD strives to ensure these programs and services are person-centred, trauma-informed and accessible to all learners. In collaboration with faculties and other campus units, the CCD integrates career development into both the curriculum and the student experience at Waterloo.
Centre for Work-Integrated Learning
As a leader in the pedagogy and practice of work-integrated learning (WIL), the Centre for WIL supports the integration of learning, work and purpose to expand and strengthen the University’s WIL ecosystem. The Centre for WIL collaborates with faculties, campus units, students and industry partners to design, deliver and scale meaningful WIL experiences that help students prepare for the future of work and connect their co-op and WIL experiences with classroom learning. Signature programs include Graduate WIL courses, Professional Development (PD) courses for undergraduate students, EDGE and Waterloo Experience (WE) Accelerate. Acting as the University’s central hub for WIL innovation, including capstone and experiential learning initiatives, the Centre for WIL supports campus and faculty partners with embedding high-impact WIL opportunities across programs, disciplines and stages of the student journey.
Student and Faculty Relations
CEE’s Student and Faculty Relations (SFR) supports over 25,000 students across more than 120 accredited co-op programs and numerous WIL opportunities. The team is focused on creating conditions for students to thrive in co-op. Dedicated, faculty-aligned co-op advisors assist students throughout their co-op degree, from preparing for and searching for their first co-op job to excelling in each work term. Student experience team members are committed to building strong connections with student leaders and collecting, analyzing and using student feedback for ongoing improvement of our programs. With a focus on equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, accessibility and Indigenous relations, the student and faculty relations team helps navigate challenges, barriers and accommodation needs during their work terms. Faculty relationship managers work strategically with faculty partners to effectively implement co-op and WIL pedagogy, connecting classroom learning with meaningful work experiences.
Industry Relations
The Industry Relations (IR) team builds and sustains strong partnerships with current and prospective employers and industry associations to create meaningful, co-op/WIL job opportunities and projects for students across industry sectors. The team focuses on ongoing employer engagement, relationship management and the use of industry and labour market insights to inform strategy and continuous improvement. A core priority is delivering a high-quality, consistent employer experience that builds trust, drives employer delight and fosters long-term loyalty to Waterloo’s talent ecosystem. Through targeted external funding initiatives (e.g., Mitacs, Student Work Placement Program, etc.), the team helps facilitate funding for co-op/WIL positions and innovative projects that benefit both students and employers. The portfolio also includes international strategic initiatives, which support both inbound and outbound international co-op students and work experiences, international employers and strategic industry partnerships around the globe. The unit collaborates with campus partners to position CEE as a global leader in the co-op/WIL space.
Strategic Enablement Team
The Strategic Enablement Team (SET) provides centralized services, including systems, processes, data, resources, communications, engagement and technology. With a focus on continuous improvement, SET collaborates across all CEE portfolios and with campus partners to ensure that solutions are equitable, maintainable, documented, secure and compliant.
Work-Learn Institute
The Work-Learn Institute (WxL) studies how WIL works and uses that evidence to help organizations build strong, effective WIL systems. Our research examines student and employer experiences, program quality and equity, and the changing nature of entry-level work. Our insights help partners understand what makes WIL meaningful, scalable and sustainable. Beyond research, WxL works directly with higher education institutions, governments and organizations seeking to strengthen their WIL ecosystems. We support strategy development, system design, implementation and evaluation, and advise on institutional and national WIL initiatives around the world. We also deliver training for educators and employers to improve WIL practice and enhance learning and workplace outcomes.
Awards and Accolades
Work-Learn Institute (WxL) earns Best Paper Award at the 2024 WACE International Research Symposium
The winning paper summarizes themes from 222 articles published in the journal and identifies opportunities for the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) community to explore as it works to create sustainable knowledge societies.
The national award recognizes individuals or teams whose research initiatives have significantly pushed the boundaries of current work-integrated learning (WIL) knowledge and practices. The award prioritizes initiatives that focus on issues of equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI), access and accessibility at the post-secondary level in Canada.
WxL’s director, Anne-Marie Fannon receives the CEWIL Volunteer Impact Award (Group) along with Kristine Dawson (Algonquin College) and Cara Krezek (The Talent Strategy Collective)
As the co-chairs and past-presidents of CEWIL Canada, these leaders played a pivotal role in establishing CEWIL as a national authority on WIL.
The annual awards recognize post-secondary institutions for outstanding achievements in alumni affairs, communications, marketing, development, advancement, stewardship and overall institutional advancement. CEE’s team won for the 2023 Employer Impact Conference, a virtual conference for current and prospective co-op employers to learn about “the talent evolution” from CEE staff, students and industry leaders.
The CEIA Ralph W. Tyler Award recognizes excellence for outstanding and distinguished research in co-operative education and internships. The winning publication, The Routledge International Handbook of Work-Integrated Learning (3rd Ed), was edited by Pretti and Karsten Zegwaard, director of work-integrated learning research at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. The publication also features four contributing authors from the University of Waterloo: Anne-Marie Fannon, Shabnam Ivkovic, Norah McRae and Jennifer Woodside.
CEE’s focus on ensuring academic integration between students’ work experiences and the classroom earned the Power of Partnership Award - Gold at Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Reimagine Education Conference and Awards.
2023 WACE Outstanding Professional Contribution Award
Awarded to Dr. Judene Pretti, director of CEE's Strategic Enablement Team, for notable and enduring contributions to executive leadership, marked by the implementation of innovative initiatives that led to transformative outcomes.
The national award recognizes excellence for outstanding and distinguished research in co-operative education, internships and WIL. The winning article, titled The Work-Learn Institute: A Living Lab for Work-Integrated Learning Research, was authored by Katie Knapp, research associate at WxL.
QS Sustainability Education Award – Advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through WIL
CEE’s focus on sustainability through international work terms earned the Sustainability Education Award - Silver at Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Reimagine Education Conference and Awards.
International PIEoneer awards recognize WACE Global Challenge program
Waterloo is an active participant in the WACE Global Challenge, a program supporting international experiences for students, which won an award for helping to advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Waterloo Awarded Best Paper for study outcomes on UN SDGs work-term activity
Dr. Norah McRae and Director of International Strategic Initiatives, Shabnam Ivković were awarded best paper at WACE’s 4th International Research Symposium on Cooperative and Work-Integrated Education in 2022. Their winning paper is titled Value and impact of an internship activity to increase awareness of and engagement with the UN’s SDGs.
University of Waterloo’s Anne Fannon recognized with prestigious work-integrated learning award
Anne-Marie Fannon wins the 2019 Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL) Volunteer Service Award for her incredible work in the WIL field.
University of Waterloo’s Dr. Judene Pretti recognized with prestigious Graham Branton Research Award
Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL Canada) awards Dr. Judene Pretti, director of Waterloo’s Work-Learn Institute (WxL), the Dr. Graham Branton Research Award.
International CANEU Co-op program wins CBIE Award, celebrates 10th anniversary
The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) recognizes the landmark international student work/study exchange program for its achievements and a decade of successful experiences abroad.
McRae is awarded The Dean Herman Schneider Award for her significant and comprehensive record of contributions towards the advancement of the philosophy and practice of co-operative education.