Waterloo Experience (WE) Accelerate: Winter 2025 work term

The Waterloo Experience (WE) Accelerate program will help you develop in-demand skills. We collaborated with industry leaders to offer you this innovative option in your first work term. Through content provided by industry collaborators and team-based project experiences, you’ll learn skills while gaining real-world experience - all while earning a flexible work term credit.

WE Accelerate is designed to help students build on the skills they have, while also developing the skills they need. I've had previous students come back and tell me they were able to get interviews and secure their next co-op because of what they learned through the program.

Melanie Bullagao, WE Accelerate team lead

How the WE Accelerate program can help:

Build the skills employers are looking for.
Apply new skills to real world projects.
Learn from content created by industry experts.
Leverage your experience in future job searches through career education.
Participate remotely from any location.
Earn a flexible work term credit (learn more about standard vs. flexible work term requirements and how many of each you need to graduate).
Opt-in to the program and continue to look for a traditional work term.

How WE Accelerate works

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Career component

Complete approximately 60 hours total of career programming.

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Skills development

Complete approximately 100 hours of skills development provided by an industry collaborator.

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Project experience

Complete approximately 120 hours of team-based, real-world project work (roughly 25 hours per week across a 5-week span).

WE Accelerate streams being offered in Winter 2025

Azure and Artificial Intelligence

Microsoft offers the Azure and Artificial Intelligence (AI) stream. It is an introduction to AI and its application across industry. You'll learn how to:

• Understand and hold certification in Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
• Build a foundation and hold certification in Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals
• Apply Design Thinking principles to problem-solving

Enrolment cap: 170 students

Creating accessible digital learning environments

The Creating accessible digital learning environments stream focuses on making educational and training materials more accessible to learners. You'll learn how to:

• Enhance course components and training materials within the D2L Brightspace learning management system (LMS)
• Utilize universal design (UDL) for learning principles
• Apply accessibility norms and standards

Enrolment cap: 30 students

Data-driven solutions for global challenges

The Data-driven solutions for global challenges focuses on equipping you with high-demand skills in data collection, analytics and communication. You'll learn how to:

• Apply sustainability in decision-making
• Manage and process data effectively
• Evaluate data quality (data literacy)
• Use data analysis tools including Excel and PowerBI

Enrolment cap: 50 students

Digital Bootcamp

The Digital Bootcamp stream features various mentors throughout the stream. It focuses on designing webpages and marketing tools. You'll learn how to:

• Design responsive websites for both desktop and mobile platforms
• Develop and implement SEO strategies to improve search visibility
• Create content and execute digital marketing campaigns through email and video
• Utilize office productivity software effectively (optional)

Enrolment cap: 150 students

AZURE AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Microsoft offers the Azure and Artificial Intelligence (AI) stream. It is an introduction to AI and its application across industry. You'll learn about:

• Azure Fundamentals content and certification
• Azure AI Fundamentals content and certification
• Design Thinking

Enrolment cap: 170 students

Career component	The program's first week (January 27 - 31) will feature onboarding and career programming through a one-hour synchronous session daily, followed by asynchronous activities totalling 25 hours for the entire week. An additional 10 hours of career programming will occur throughout the skills and project experience portion. In the program's final week (April 7 - 11), you will reflect on the career program conducted earlier and complete your summative assignment. This will total approximately 25 hours for the entire week. What you'll learn: How to explore different career paths, industries and job roles that can be applied in later work terms or on your career journey. Essential professional skills such as communication, teamwork, time management, problem-solving and leadership. Effective job search strategies, including résumé writing, cover letter preparation, networking techniques and interview skills for future work terms. How to reflect on their career goals, strengths, areas for improvement and experiences gained throughout the program.
Skills training experience	The skills training for the Microsoft Azure AI stream will focus primarily on the Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) and the Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900) certifications, where you'll have access to hands-on tutorials within the content so you can practice the skills associated with using Azure. The Azure and Azure AI content will be supplemented with Microsoft’s AI Business School content and material from our colleagues at Microsoft about Design Thinking. What you'll learn: Develop an understanding of Microsoft Azure fundamentals and AI concepts and the ability to deploy and manage cloud resources effectively. Build an understanding of the business implications and applications of AI technology and insight into AI ethics, governance and compliance. Ability to approach challenges creatively and empathetically using design thinking principles.
Synchronous sessions	There will be an introductory session at the start of skills development and a project information session during the last week of skills training. Attendance at these events is mandatory. There will be additional live sessions, group meetings and office hours starting during the skills training phase of the program. If for some reason you are unable to attend the live sessions you must communicate with your Team Lead. Recordings will be available for some sessions. These will be ongoing throughout the project experience section of the program. To successfully complete the program, it is mandatory to sign up for a proctored examination for the AI-900 and AZ-900 certifications. As part of the project experience, you must meet with your team members and project mentor/employer regularly. It is also mandatory that you attend a final presentation session in the last week of the project (April 7 - 11) with your group. These will be scheduled, and timing shared with you as early as possible during the term. What you'll learn: Develop communication and presentation skills through participation in sessions and learn to articulate ideas, insights and project outcomes effectively. Practice time management skills by scheduling and attending mandatory sessions and meetings. Apply theoretical knowledge and skills acquired during synchronous sessions to real-world projects and challenges. Gain practical experience and insights relevant to future career opportunities.
Total synchronous time commitment	Your certification exams for AZ-900 and AI-900 are mandatory course requirements. Attendance at group meetings and other synchronous meetings is required for success in the program. If you are unavailable to attend a synchronous session, you will need yo reach out to your team lead in advance. To successfully complete your project experience, you’ll need to find time to meet virtually with teammates and Microsoft Mentors on a weekly basis to successfully.
Skills curriculum assessment	You must successfully pass the AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) and the AI-900 (Azure AI Fundamentals) examinations in order to pass the skills curriculum component of this stream of programming.
Project experience	Projects in this stream are provided in combination by Avanade and a third-party provider. Project teams will use their Azure and AI skills to complete deliverables in tandem with industry partners or propose solutions to important global issues. An industry mentor/client will assess your final project deliverable, resulting in your final overall evaluation. At the discretion of your industry mentor/client, the evaluation may be team-based or an individual evaluation. What you'll learn: Gain practical experience in applying technical knowledge to address complex challenges. Analyze project requirements, identify innovative solutions to address industry challenges or global issues, while enhancing your critical thinking skills by evaluating different approaches and making informed decisions. Plan, organize and execute project activities to meet deadlines and deliver high-quality outcomes. Acquire experience and skills relevant to future career opportunities in technology, innovation, and project management.
Project employers	Projects in this stream are provided in combination by Avanade and a third-party provider.
Privacy notice from Microsoft	Please note Microsoft’s Privacy Statement.

Creating accessible digital learning environments

The Creating accessible digital learning environments stream focuses on making educational and training materials more accessible to learners. You'll learn how to:

• Enhance course components and training materials within the D2L Brightspace learning management system (LMS)
• Utilize universal design (UDL) for learning principles
• Apply accessibility norms and standards

Enrolment cap: 30 students

Career component	The program's first week (January 27-31) will feature onboarding and career programming through a daily one-hour synchronous session, followed by asynchronous activities totaling 25 hours for the entire week. An additional 10 hours of career programming will occur throughout the skills and project experience portion. In the program's final week (April 7-11), you’ll reflect on the career program conducted earlier and complete your summative assignment. This will total approximately 25 hours for the entire week. What you'll learn: How to explore different career paths, industries and job roles that can be applied in later work terms or on your career journey. Essential professional skills such as communication, teamwork, time management, problem-solving and leadership. Effective job search strategies, including résumé writing, cover letter preparation, networking techniques and interview skills for future work terms. How to reflect on their career goals, strengths, areas for improvement and experiences gained throughout the program.
Skills training experience	Students in this stream will develop the skills needed to create accessible online courses, learning assets and training materials within the D2L Brightspace platform. Students will also investigate foundational principles and legal requirements of web accessibility to design AODA and WCAG compliant educational and training materials. What you'll learn: Apply universal design for learning principles in diverse educational contexts Implement foundational principles and meet legal standards for web accessibility Navigate and use the Brightspace learning management system effectively
Synchronous sessions	There will be an introductory session at the start of Skills Development and a showcase session during the last week of skills training. There will be weekly live sessions during skills training, days to be announced. Synchronous discussions and workshops will be scheduled for no more than 5 hours weekly. Live session attendance is mandatory. If for some reason you are unable to attend the live sessions, you must communicate with your Team Lead. Recordings will be available for some sessions. Students will also need to find time each week to meet with their team lead and work together with their group members to complete several team-based activities. What you'll learn: Develop communication and presentation skills through participation in sessions and learn to articulate ideas, insights and project outcomes effectively. Practice time management skills by scheduling and attending mandatory sessions and meetings. Apply theoretical knowledge and skills acquired during synchronous sessions to real-world projects and challenges. Gain practical experience and insights relevant to future career opportunities.
Total synchronous time commitment	Synchronous discussions and workshops will be scheduled for no more than five hours weekly, and all discussions and workshops will be recorded for asynchronous viewing. Students will also need to work together with their teams to complete several team-based activities. Most of the time commitment associated with Digital Bootcamp will be asynchronous in nature.
Skills curriculum assessment	To pass the skills development portion of this stream, you need to do the following: Complete Apply Your Skills Tasks Showcase your work in a final presentation Pass the two included quizzes
Project experience	You’ll apply your Accessible Digital Learning Environments skills to work on recommendations and improvements to documents, tools and media in education or training material. What you'll learn: Enhanced understanding of accessibility, education and/or training methodologies. Hands-on experience improving documents, tools and media in educational or training material alignment with accessibility standards. Ability to formulate actionable recommendations based on findings. Improved communication skills through interaction with partners and presenting findings effectively. Enhanced problem-solving skills by addressing real-world challenges in a professional setting.
Project employers	Students will work with employers sourced through internal University of Waterloo opportunities.

Data-driven solutions for global challenges

The Data-driven solutions for global challenges focuses on equipping you with high-demand skills in data collection, analytics and communication. You'll learn how to:

Apply sustainability in decision-making
Manage and process data effectively
Evaluate data quality (data literacy)
Use data analysis tools including Excel and PowerBI

Enrolment cap: 50 students

Career component	The program's first week (January 27-31) will feature onboarding and career programming through a daily one-hour synchronous session, followed by asynchronous activities totalling 25 hours for the entire week. An additional 10 hours of career programming will occur throughout the skills and project experience portion. In the program's final week (April 7-11), you’ll reflect on the career program conducted earlier and complete your summative assignment. This will total approximately 25 hours for the entire week. What you'll learn: How to explore different career paths, industries and job roles that can be applied in later work terms or on your career journey. Essential professional skills such as communication, teamwork, time management, problem-solving and leadership. Effective job search strategies, including résumé writing, cover letter preparation, networking techniques and interview skills for future work terms. How to reflect on their career goals, strengths, areas for improvement and experiences gained throughout the program.
Skills training experience	Students in this stream will learn about the UN SDGs and sustainability alongside techniques and tools for data analysis and visualization. Students will interpret their analytical results, focusing on insights that can drive decision-making and impact. What you'll learn: Use sustainability as a guiding framework to inform decisions and recommendations Identify, sort, categorize, clean, compare, aggregate and translate data effectively Analyze and evaluate the quality of data sets and sources (data literacy) Use data analysis tools proficiently, including Excel and PowerBI (among others)
Synchronous sessions	There will be an introductory session at the start of Skills Development and a showcase session during the last week of skills training. There will be weekly live sessions during skills training, days to be announced. Synchronous discussions and workshops will be scheduled for no more than 5 hours weekly. Live session attendance is mandatory. If for some reason you are unable to attend the live sessions, you must communicate with your Team Lead. Recordings will be available for some sessions. Students will also need to find time each week to meet with their team lead and work together with their group members to complete several team-based activities. What you'll learn: Develop communication and presentation skills through participation in sessions and learn to articulate ideas, insights and project outcomes effectively. Practice time management skills by scheduling and attending mandatory sessions and meetings. Apply theoretical knowledge and skills acquired during synchronous sessions to real-world projects and challenges. Gain practical experience and insights relevant to future career opportunities.
Total synchronous time commitment	Synchronous discussions and workshops will be scheduled for no more than five hours weekly, and all discussions and workshops will be recorded for asynchronous viewing. Students will also need to work together with their teams to complete several team-based activities. Most of the time commitment associated with Data Driven Solutions will be asynchronous in nature.
Skills curriculum assessment	To pass the skills development portion of this stream, you need to do the following: Carbon footprint assignment LinkedIn Learning: Prepare for the Power BI Data Analyst Associate (PL-300) Certification PowerBI assessment Pass the six included quizzes with a grade of at least 70% each after three attempts
Project experience	You’ll apply your Data driven solution skills to apply their learned skills in data analytics and visualization towards meaningful, real-world problems either aligned with the UN SDGs or specific to an industry/community partner challenge or need. What you'll learn: Enhanced understanding acquisition, organization, vetting and analysis of data. Ability to formulate actionable recommendations based on analytical findings. Improved communication skills through interaction with employer partners and presenting findings effectively. Enhanced problem-solving skills by addressing real-world challenges in a professional setting.
Project employers	Students will work with employers sourced through a third-party provider.

DIGITAL BOOTCAMP

The Digital Bootcamp stream features various mentors throughout the stream. It focuses on a variety of digital strategies to attract, engage and market content to users. You'll learn about:

• Website design for desktop and mobile
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Content, email, and video marketing
• Office productivity software (optional)

Enrollment cap: 150 students

Career component	The program's first week (January 27 - 31) will feature onboarding and career programming through a daily one-hour synchronous session, followed by asynchronous activities totalling 25 hours for the entire week. An additional 10 hours of career programming will occur throughout the skills and project experience portion.In the program's final week (April 7 - 11), you’ll reflect on the career program conducted earlier and complete your summative assignment. This will total approximately 25 hours for the entire week. What you'll learn: How to explore different career paths, industries and job roles that can be applied in later work terms or on your career journey. Essential professional skills such as communication, teamwork, time management, problem-solving and leadership. Effective job search strategies, including résumé writing, cover letter preparation, networking techniques and interview skills for future work terms. How to reflect on their career goals, strengths, areas for improvement and experiences gained throughout the program.
Skills training experience	Students in this stream will begin by learning about a marketing philosophy known as Inbound and how this applies to a company's digital presence, both in terms of its website and its social media activity. What you'll learn: How to attract, engage, and delight customers by putting themselves in their target audience's shoes and creating opportunities for two-way conversations. About the importance of consistent digital branding across all channels and how to follow or even build a brand guide. How to create and design websites in WordPress and other platforms, and ensure that those websites are responsive, user-friendly, and accessible. How to apply content marketing, video marketing and email marketing to a website to keep it current and attract repeat visits. About search engine optimization and how to use data to both measure and boost the performance of a website.
Synchronous sessions	There will be an introductory session at the start of Skills Development and a showcase session during the last week of skills training. There will be weekly live sessions during skills training, days to be announced. Synchronous discussions and workshops will be scheduled for no more than 5 hours weekly. Live session attendance is mandatory. If for some reason you are unable to attend the live sessions, you must communicate with your Team Lead. Recordings will be available for some sessions. Students will also need to find time each week to meet with their team lead and work together with their group members to complete several team-based activities. What you'll learn: Develop communication and presentation skills through participation in sessions and learn to articulate ideas, insights and project outcomes effectively. Practice time management skills by scheduling and attending mandatory sessions and meetings. Apply theoretical knowledge and skills acquired during synchronous sessions to real-world projects and challenges. Gain practical experience and insights relevant to future career opportunities.
Total synchronous time commitment	Synchronous discussions and workshops will be scheduled for no more than five hours weekly, and all discussions and workshops will be recorded for asynchronous viewing. Students will also need to work together with their teams to complete several team-based activities. Most of the time commitment associated with Digital Bootcamp will be asynchronous in nature.
Skills curriculum assessment	To pass the skills development portion of this stream, you need to do the following: 1. Submit proof of earning the following Hubspot certificates Inbound Email Marketing Content Marketing 2. Submit proof of having completed the following online courses LinkedIn’s User Experience for Web Design course Google’s Analytics for Beginners course 3. Pass the 7 included quizzes with a grade of at least 70% each after three attempts
Project experience	You’ll apply your Digital Bootcamp skills to work on improving a company's digital presence through things like a better user experience (UX) or improved search engine optimization (SEO). Projects are provided by one of Co-operative and Experiential Education’s employer partners. What you'll learn: Enhanced understanding of digital marketing techniques and methodologies. Hands-on experience in utilizing digital tools and platforms for analysis and improvement. Ability to formulate actionable recommendations based on analytical findings. Improved communication skills through interaction with employer partners and presenting findings effectively. Enhanced problem-solving skills by addressing real-world challenges in a professional setting.
Project employers	Students will work with employers sourced through Co-operative Education’s employment relations team.

Timeline and what to expect

WE Accelerate opt-in/opt-out period	Beginning December 4
WE Accelerate Virtual Information Day	Wednesday, December 4 Former students and WE Accelerate team leads discuss their experience during our WE Accelerate Virtual Information Day event. Opt-in form will go live in WaterlooWorks following the event.
Deadline to opt-in	Friday, January 17 at 4 p.m. (ET) Deadline to opt-in and indicate your streams of interest. Please note: The WE Accelerate program has reached its capacity. New opt-ins will be waitlisted. There is no guarantee of a space at this point. However, we still encourage students to opt in. As we move through the opt-in period, we expect some students to opt-out as they find a co-op job or secure an AOJ. This will free up space in the program and reduce number of waitlisted students.
Streams assigned	Monday, January 20 After registration closes on January 17, students will be sorted into streams based on preference (first-come, first-served) and enrollment caps. We’ll ensure you know which stream you’re in before the opt-out deadline of Friday, January 24.
Deadline to opt-out	Friday, January 24 at 9 a.m. (ET) After this, we expect you to commit to WE Accelerate like any other work term as limited spots are available.
WE Accelerate work term begins	January 27
Career programming (part 1)	January 27 - 31 Complete onboarding and career curriculum (part 1). Approximately 25 hours during this first week, with approximately 10 additional hours of career programming to occur throughout. 1 hour of synchronous content daily, with all other content provided asynchronously.
Skill development programming	Beginning February 3 Complete skill development training content. Approximately 100 hours, with varying degrees of synchronous content depending on the stream.
Project experience	March 3 - April 4 (exact timing will depend on the stream/project) Complete industry collaborator projects in teams and receive feedback. Approximately 120 hours of project work to be expected across 5 weeks (all projects to be completed by April 4). Please note: the hours to complete your project work will be determined by the project provider, with the expectation you are available. Industry collaborators will complete a Project Evaluation Form and assign individual ratings OR an overall rating for each project team (up to the employers discretion). Project evaluation form deadline (for employers): Friday, April 11.
Career programming (part two)	April 7 - 11 Complete the career curriculum (part two) and four final summative reflection assignments. Due at the end of each day of the career curriculum part two starting on day two (April 8) to day five (April 11). Approximately 25 hours.

Next steps: opt-in to WE Accelerate

We invite you to opt-in for WE Accelerate by filling out our opt-in form on WaterlooWorks by Friday, January 17 at 4 p.m. (ET). In this form, you'll indicate your interest in the skill streams. The WE Accelerate team will use this information to assign students to streams on a first-come, first-served basis. Each stream has different enrolment caps based on how many students industry collaborators can accommodate.

Not sure if you want to commit? Even if you choose to opt-in, you can opt-out of the program if you change your mind any time before Friday, January 24 at 9 a.m. (ET).

Please note: The WE Accelerate program has reached its capacity. New opt-ins will be waitlisted. There is no guarantee of a space at this point. However, we still encourage students to opt in. As we move through the opt-in period, we expect some students to opt-out as they find a co-op job or secure an AOJ. This will free up space in the program and reduce number of waitlisted students.

Follow the steps below to opt-in by Friday, January 17 at 4 p.m. (ET):

Login to WaterlooWorks and select Submit a form.
Complete the form below:
- Category: Waterloo Experience (WE) Accelerate Program
- Sub-category: Opt-in – WE Accelerate (5026)
After completing the opt-in form, you’ll be assigned to a stream on a first-come, first-served basis depending on how you ranked your streams of interest. We’ll let you know which stream you’ve been assigned to Monday, January 20.
Please note: You do NOT need to complete an Arrange Own Job form or search for additional part-time work on top of WE Accelerate - just submitting the opt-in form and completing the components of your assigned stream is enough to get you co-op credit!

If you change your mind, follow the steps below to opt-out by Friday, January 24 at 9 a.m. (ET):

Login to WaterlooWorks and select Submit a form.
Complete the form below:
- Category: Waterloo Experience (WE) Accelerate Program
- Sub-category: Opt-out – WE Accelerate (5027)
If we receive your opt-out form by the deadline of Friday, January 24 at 9 a.m. (ET), we'll remove you from the program.
After this deadline, we expect that you will be committed to fulfilling the requirements for your stream to earn your co-op credit. Withdrawing from WE Accelerate after the opt-out deadline may result in consequences to your work term status. Please contact your co-op advisor for more details.

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How the WE Accelerate program can help: