Employers
What's in it for you?
Today's employers need talent with practical experience and future-relevant skills. Establishing Work-Integrated Learning opportunities in your workplace will bring you a variety of advantages. From a fresh pair of eyes, to different skill sets and direct access into top talent pipelines, you'll connect with students bringing diverse experiences and knowledge to your organization.
- Poor mentorship is worse than no mentorship. Not everyone is cut out to be a mentor. Identify those who have strong human skills (i.e. social and emotional skills), and provide them with the resources they need to be effective.
- Recognize the success of mentors and reward it accordingly.
- Relationships take time to develop. Scheduling check-ins and providing time for unstructured conversation can help. This might include conversations about how the student is feeling.
- Draw on “human skills” and competencies like active listening, communication, and empathy to help the student articulate their feelings and concerns.
- • Mentors should also ask for feedback throughout the duration of the WIL experience (i.e. not just at the end). Is the student enjoying the experience? Are there activities they’d like to be included in? Would they prefer more or less frequent check-ins? What could the mentor do differently? Questions like these remind the student that the mentor is also learning from the experience and help contribute to an environment where both parties feel comfortable openly communicating and providing feedback to one another.
- Approaches to mentorship will vary based on the needs of the mentee. Being open and transparent about responsibilities and expectations can empower students to succeed.
- A willingness to listen, learn and be flexible will help mentors connect with students and provide inclusive WIL environments.
- Employers must prioritize diversity and inclusion training among their staff and develop strategies for ensuring that workplaces are safe and inclusive.
- Employers seeking to encourage mentorship must recognize that just because someone is an effective supervisor does not mean they have the skills needed for mentorship.
- Mentors need a blend of technical skills and human skills, with emphasis on the latter. In particular, mentors need strong communication skills, empathy and organizational abilities—among other skills and competencies.
- Approaches to mentorship may vary depending on the work-integrated learning (WIL) platform. The role of a mentor, within the limitations of the WIL format, may focus on helping the student adapt to the culture of the workplace, understand professional etiquette, or ensure that their experience is informative and enjoyable.
- Mentorship might include activities such as job-shadowing, one-on-one chats (or check-ins), or encouraging the mentee to attend meetings and participate in networking events.
- Safety is rightfully top of mind for employers and educators, meaning that in-person WIL (and mentorship) is not always possible. For organizations where in-person WIL was not feasible during the COVID-19 pandemic, many supervisors reported having more frequent check-in meetings, and scheduling time for unstructured, open dialogue to help build trust and relationships.
Mentorship is complex, difficult to define, and can mean different things to different people. Broadly, it’s about helping another person through a transition (like a new job) by providing support, guidance, and knowledge based on experience. Where supervision and coaching tend to be focused on performance, mentorship focuses more on the personal and professional development of the mentee.
- There are many benefits for the mentee, the mentor, and for organizations that encourage mentorship.
- For the mentee, mentorship helps instill confidence as they develop new skills and gain experience, while growing their network and gaining institutional knowledge.
- Mentors use and develop new skills as they demonstrate leadership, while growing their own networks. Mentors often report finding their jobs more fulfilling or satisfying as they contribute to the professional growth of new colleagues.
- For organizations, mentorship helps develop leaders, by providing opportunities for employees to become mentors, while transferring and maintaining institutional knowledge to new employees. Mentorship can also contribute to inclusive, diverse, and collaborative environments.
Certain types of WIL are sometimes called “micro-WIL.” This generally refers to forms of work-integrated learning, such as applied research projects and field studies programs, that are less than a full academic semester (e.g. are shorter than about four months.) These short bursts of work-integrated learning still expose students to the realities and pressures of the workforce, but are less immersive than full time WIL, such as an internship, co-op or apprenticeship.
We recommended reaching out to a campus career centre, co-op office or equivalent before hiring a student. These centres have significant resources to make the process easier, including:
- Frameworks for how to assess your students,
- Information on grants and wage subsidy programs your business may be eligible for,
- Hiring and onboarding material designed for students,
- Tips for building a WIL program that works best for your organization.
Building a stronger relationship with colleges and universities can have long-term benefits for companies. You can give feedback on the strengths (and areas of improvement) for different programs to make sure that students have the right skills for a changing work environment. We do recognize, however, that sometimes the hiring timelines for employers and for schools don’t match up. When this is the case, we hope that the materials we’ve developed can help fill in these gaps so that both your organization and students can have a meaningful work experience.
Co-op and internship recruitment cycles typically begin 4-8 months before a placement starts, which is when students are thinking about their next term and must sort out where to live if they need to move cities. For example, if an employer wants a student to begin working in May, they should begin advertising the position in February at the latest - especially for employers that don’t live in areas with university or college campuses. Some schools have highly structured recruitment processes for their WIL programs, so be sure to confirm with a school if you intend to hire from a particular program.
Some FAQs at a glance
There are many different types of Work Integrated Learning opportunities. Work placements span a range of sectors and types — from co-op placements with alternating academic terms and paid work terms, to apprenticeships to applied research projects — and more. There are also emerging types of WIL, including bootcamps and “micro” or very short-term placements. All placements must provide value to both the employer and the student. The work must be meaningful and mutually beneficial. Work placements should reflect the student’s field of study and provide ample opportunity to apply and develop relevant skills. To find the type of WIL best suited for your organization’s needs, see Types of WIL.
Depending on the discipline, students can do a variety of tasks. Students learn skills, software and tools that may be used in your organization, and they’re looking for real world experience in which they can apply those skills. Students can be hired for varied lengths of time from a couple weeks to 18 months. Depending on the length of time spent at your organization, they can work on short or longer term projects, solve new or existing problems, and fill labour gaps as needed. To find the length and time commitment your organization can demand from students, see Types of WIL.
Work-integrated learning is a win for employers and for students. Work-integrated learning (WIL) placements offer a number of important benefits for employers. Employers acquire new knowledge and access to skilled talent. Quality WIL opportunities also drive innovation, enhance productivity, and help companies to compete in a changing economy. Students benefit from practical work experience, skill development, enhanced learning, and developing insights about future career paths. For more information, see Benefits of WIL.
For specific examples of skills and tasks students can do, see University of Alberta’s Common Work Term Tasks for Civil Engineering, and Université de Moncton’s 1-pagers on competencies for different co-op programs.
Employers can support meaningful, quality learning experiences by following some key principles. The following is a brief overview of the roles and responsibilities of employers.
- Offer a work integrated learning placement that relates to the position posted and the student’s field of study
- Provide accurate and detailed information on job responsibilities, compensation and benefits
- Make onboarding the student a priority
- Set clear learning goals, expectations and structure
- Provide ongoing supervision, feedback and mentorship at regular intervals
- Monitor progress, and provide formal/informal feedback to the post secondary institution.
- Treat the student as an employee and member of the team
- Provide the student with relevant training and development opportunities
- Communicate “unwritten rules” and expectations; for example dress code, work space etiquette, communication in meetings, use of personal devices
As an employer, you are expected to also pay students fair wages. Student salaries depend on the type of work assignment, location, sector and the student’s experience. Compensation should be clearly communicated from the start and recognize the impact student placements have on lowering your overall compensation costs and the value they bring to productivity and innovation. Salaries should be paid in accordance with the Employee Standards Act in your province. Your organization may be eligible for tax credits or funding depending on your province.
More information about the responsibilities of an employer can be found on Western’s Internship Program Employer Responsibilities, and UMBC’s Employer Responsibilities: Internships. For more information on suggested salary guidelines by discipline see University of Concordia’s Salary Guidelines.
Diversity and inclusion is good for people and good for business. Employers are increasingly recognizing the importance of diversity and inclusion in recruiting and retaining the skills and talent they need to thrive in a changing economy. A diverse workforce can help drive innovation, improve market share, and increase access to talent. People want to work for organizations that demonstrate excellent employment practices.
Learn more about the case for diversity from the Government of Canada’s Case for Diversity.
We recommended reaching out to a campus career centre, co-op office or equivalent before hiring a student. These centres have significant resources to make the process easier, including:
- Frameworks for how to assess your students,
- Information on grants and wage subsidy programs your business may be eligible for,
- Hiring and onboarding material designed for students,
- Tips for building a WIL program that works best for your organization.
Building a stronger relationship with colleges and universities can have long-term benefits for companies. You can give feedback on the strengths (and areas of improvement) for different programs to make sure that students have the right skills for a changing work environment. We do recognize, however, that sometimes the hiring timelines for employers and for schools don’t match up. When this is the case, we hope that the materials we’ve developed can help fill in these gaps so that both your organization and students can have a meaningful work experience.
Co-op and internship recruitment cycles typically begin 4-8 months before a placement starts, which is when students are thinking about their next term and must sort out where to live if they need to move cities. For example, if an employer wants a student to begin working in May, they should begin advertising the position in February at the latest - especially for employers that don’t live in areas with university or college campuses. Some schools have highly structured recruitment processes for their WIL programs, so be sure to confirm with a school if you intend to hire from a particular program.
