The Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking proudly delivers innovative work-integrated learning (WIL), a key element of a systems-based approach to addressing Canada’s productivity crisis.

By Anica Vasic

Senior Director, Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives
Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking, University of Calgary

Canada is at the forefront of a vital national conversation about overcoming its ongoing productivity challenges. In higher education, this has sparked a re-evaluation of how post-secondary institutions can better prepare students to contribute to a more productive and prosperous future. Central to these discussions is the critical role that WIL plays in bridging the gap between education and the workforce.

While there is no single solution to Canada’s productivity crisis, WIL is one meaningful lever that post-secondary institutions can employ as part of a broader systems approach. It not only provides students with valuable hands-on experience but also gives businesses the opportunity to identify and nurture emerging talent, facilitating a smoother and more strategic transition from education to employment. WIL offers tremendous opportunity, but in recent years, those working to deliver WIL have been looking for innovative models and tools to help make these transformative experiences more accessible and even more meaningful.

A recent RBC report, Capitalizing on a Highly Educated Workforce: How Post-secondary Education Can Help Fix Our Productivity Crisis, highlights the pivotal role WIL can play in addressing these challenges. The report advocates for expanding and adapting WIL opportunities, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which often face greater barriers to participation than larger organizations. It calls for flexible, resource-efficient models such as short-term placements, virtual projects, and industry challenges that lower the barriers to entry. By broadening access to these models, Canada can better align educational outcomes with workforce needs, ultimately boosting productivity and equipping students and businesses with the skills necessary for a thriving economy.

In 2021, I had the privilege of launching Experience Venturesat the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary. The program was designed to innovate WIL by leveraging technology and innovative models to increase participation from both students and ventures. Experience Ventures offers short-term, tech-facilitated placements that remove common barriers, making it easier for students and ventures alike to engage in WIL opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach. These placements, up to 80 hours in length, are often delivered in hybrid formats that leverage technology to meet the unique needs, resources, and capacities of both students and ventures.

Post-secondary institutions play a crucial role in coordinating and supporting these experiences to ensure long-term value for all participants. By participating in innovative WIL placements, students gain valuable career-ready skills, while ventures benefit from early access to talent and fresh insights that spark new strategies and drive momentum.

What sets Experience Ventures apart is its commitment to not only providing innovative, accessible, and meaningful WIL experiences but also cultivating entrepreneurial thinking throughout each placement. The program allows students to collaborate with local innovators as they participate in ideathons, multi-week challenges and engage in project-based work that addresses real-world challenges across disciplines. This interdisciplinary approach broadens students’ perspectives, fostering problem-solving, resilience, and action-oriented thinking, all skills that are essential to an entrepreneurial mindset.

To date, Experience Ventures, under the leadership of the Hunter Hub, and in partnership with 14 post-secondary institutions, has delivered over 8,000 innovative WIL placements allowing ventures and students to work side by side in tackling projects, challenges, and initiatives. Programs like Experience Ventures showcase the powerful potential of inclusive, forward-thinking WIL models to develop job-ready skills and cultivate the entrepreneurial mindset our economy increasingly demands. By strengthening collaboration among post-secondary institutions, employers, and policymakers, we can create a more responsive and resilient education-to-employment pipeline, that prepares students to lead in a rapidly changing world while helping Canadian businesses stay competitive globally.

As Canada continues to confront its productivity challenges, expanding and evolving innovative work-integrated learning should remain an important solution. The path to greater productivity will depend greatly on how well we prepare our students and businesses for the future, and innovative WIL allows us to do just that.