Empowering Globally Competent Professionals through Virtual Work Integrated Learning

Canadian industries face challenges associated with the shortage of specialized professionals in healthcare, education, information technology, finance, engineering, and skilled trades. This shortage presents a threat to the prosperity and collective wellbeing in Canadian society and highlights the need for strategic workforce training and preparation through innovative partnerships and strategies. As a response to this challenge, Canadian governments and higher education institutions have prioritized work-integrated learning (WIL) as a strategic direction to enhance the accessibility and inclusion of quality WIL programs for graduate students’ career preparation. Collaborating with the industry partner Riipen – a Canadian digital WIL platform with the mission “to end graduate underemployment and empower emerging talent to gain relevant skills to find the jobs they love”, this action research aims to enhance the inclusivity and quality of work integrated learning policies and programs for graduate students through a deeper understanding of their needs, their experiences with virtual work integrated learning, and the impact of virtual WIL on their global competence development. This study is timely and significant because it will improve graduate students’ career preparation and employment, close the discrepancy between specialized talents and industries, and prepare globally competent citizens, professionals, and leaders for a sustainable future.

Faculty Supervisor:

Linyuan Guo-Brennan

Student:

Partner:

Riipen

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Prince Edward Island

Program: