The following is a message from Terrina Barsalou, OC’s new Work-Integrated Learning Outreach Coordinator.
There is a lot of amazing work-integrated learning happening at Okanagan College. What is work-integrated learning (WIL), you ask? According to Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada, the lead organization for work-integrated learning in the country, “WIL is a model and process of experiential education which formally and intentionally integrates a student’s academic studies with learning in a workplace or practice setting. WIL experiences normally include an engaged partnership between an academic institution, a host organization/employer, and a student. WIL occurs at the course or program level and includes the development of learning outcomes related to employability, personal agency, and life-long learning.”
I was recently hired for a grant-funded project that seeks to capture the types of WIL happening at the institution. This includes apprenticeships, co-operative education (co-op) work terms, mandatory professional practicums and clinical placements, internships, field placements, entrepreneurship, service learning, work experiences, plus community and industry research and projects.
WIL experiences have not been documented centrally at Okanagan College in the past but recording them in a common platform will allow us to see the overall scope and impact of work-integrated learning. After the completion of this project, Okanagan College experiences for students will be added to a national WIL Directory, which aims to present stakeholders and national audiences with a better snapshot of opportunities across Canada. Having complete and accurate information will help us promote the various WIL opportunities that exist at Okanagan College.
I will be reaching out to the various departments of Okanagan College over the coming months to schedule meetings with deans, chairs, faculty, instructors, administrative staff, and department designates who are familiar with work-integrated learning happening in their areas. This will allow me to collate the programs, courses and types of WIL being delivered at OC.
In addition to tracking existing experiences at the College, I look forward to working with portfolios and departments to promote WIL in all its forms and encourage the incorporation of WIL in existing and new programs. This will ultimately contribute to the generation of new opportunities for Okanagan College students.
For more information on this project or to learn more about work-integrated learning, contact me at wil@okanagan.bc.ca or 250-762-5445, ext. 4296.