Blog

Associate Provost, Co-operative and Experiential Education, Dr. Norah McRae (she/her) 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 September, 2022.

New study finds that 13 per cent of students in the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment carried out work related to the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Waterloo created a pilot program to help increase both co-op student and employer awareness of SDGs.

Norah McRae and Shabnam Ivkovic launched a pilot program to help co-op students on international work terms engage their employers in meaningful discussions about the SDGs in the context of the organization. They share the results of the pilot and how the conversations helped bring more awareness of the SDGs and their application to co-op students.

"Gen Z is more individualistic than previous generations. When I say individualistic, I don’t mean selfish,” says David Drewery, PhD, associate director of the Work-Learn Institute. In this episode of Stress Test, the Globe and Mail’s personal finance podcast for Gen Z and millennials, Drewery discusses WxL’s recent research on Gen Z workplace values.

Work-integrated learning (WIL) has a significant contribution to education. Not only does it deepen academic understanding, but also enhances employability outcomes, fostering the exchange of knowledge between students and workplaces. Implementing the ideal environment for WIL consists of understanding stakeholders' goals and needs, creating a supportive environment, as well as navigating diverging interests. Dr. Norah McRae, associate provost of CEE, discusses with the National Skills Network, the distinction between experiential education and practical work experience, and how WIL plays a role in contributing to the broader educational framework.

Waterloo Experience (WE) Accelerate program is announced as an ongoing option for co-op students who struggle to secure a traditional co-op job in their first work term.

In this article, David Drewery and Katie Knapp explore students’ organizational commitment pertaining to workplace friendships. This study found that organizational commitment is greater when work experience quality is greater. Additionally, workplace friendships still developed during remote work-integrated learning.

David Drewery, Judene Pretti and Anne-Marie Fannon’s article analyzes the quality of work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences. WIL stakeholders can benefit from the LIRN model (learning, impact, relevance and networking) to provide excellent work experiences.