Reversing un(der)employment with a novel work-integrated learning skills development intervention

The focus of the project is on an intervention recently introduced by Co-operative & Experiential Education, called (WE) Accelerate, which aims to upwardly “accelerate” first work-term students from unemployment to meaningful employment in future work terms. The purpose of this project is to examine whether participation in (WE) Accelerate reverses un(der)employment and helps students to develop in-demand transferable skills.

By examining differences in skill development and un(der)employment between those who participated in (WE) Accelerate and those who did not, we ask:

1. Will participation in a WIL-based skills development intervention lessen the gap in underemployment between previously employed students and unemployed ones?
2. If so, how might the development of transferable skills protect against underemployment?

This project is supported by a two-year partnership with the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO)'s newly established Skills Consortium.

STATUS: ONGOING