February 9, 2022
CELEBRATING CO-OP AND WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING RESEARCH IN CANADA
TORONTO, ON - The Practice of Co-op and Work-Integrated Learning in the Canadian Context saw its soft launch to the CEWIL community back in January. The ebook, co-edited by Drs. Ashley Stirling and Judene Pretti, highlights relevant and emerging research from across the country in the areas of work-integrated learning (WIL) and co-operative education (a specific form of WIL). It is a first of its kind in Canada.
The book brings together a collection of research on the practice of co-operative education and WIL in the Canadian context. The intent of the book highlights the body of research that is building in the field of WIL in Canada. It is meant to inspire researchers and practitioners in the field to apply research to their WIL practice, as well as to invite the WIL community at large to ask more questions and further propel WIL research across Canada.
“Over the past few years, there has been substantial interest and investment in WIL by many provincial governments as well as unprecedented federal funding invested in the Canadian WIL ecosystem. With this appreciation of the value of WIL and call for more opportunities for students, there is a need to share WIL research in Canada to continue to advance empirically informed quality WIL practice in the Canadian context,” shared Dr. Judene Pretti, Director of Business Services in Co-operative and Experiential Education at the University of Waterloo.
The ebook has been a labour of love for the editors who say the idea for the book stemmed from recommendations of the CEWIL Research Committee. Both Pretti and Stirling were also instrumental in seeing the launch of the Special Canadian-focused Issue of the International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning (IJWIL) in 2021. They underline sincere appreciation to the CEWIL Research Committee members, the authors and reviewers for their important contributions through the entire publication process.
“WIL research in Canada is a valuable opportunity to critically reflect on current practice and considerations to continually provide quality WIL experiences for students both in Canada and globally,” indicated Dr. Ashley Stirling, Chair of CEWIL Research Committee and Associate Professor, Teaching Stream & Vice-Dean, Academic Affairs at the University of Toronto. “It’s terrific to see a focus on WIL research specifically in Canada, in addition to the great international research we see coming out of other countries with long histories of higher education WIL programming.”
“CEWIL is honoured to have the opportunity to share this work on behalf of WIL experts across the country. It is the perfect balance of research and practice, much like the field of WIL itself,” added Charlene Marion, Director WIL for CEWIL Canada. “This type of resource is invaluable to the WIL community and a must read for all in the WIL space.”
The Practice of Co-op and Work-Integrated Learning in the Canadian Context is available for free download on CEWIL Canada’s website.
Upcoming Events
As part of the official launch of the ebook, a series of free webinars will be hosted every Thursday starting on February 10 running until March 3, 2022. Register today!
Into the WILderness host, Dan Lonergan, also catches up with some of the researchers in the ebook on our podcast. Listen here!
CEWIL will be celebrating its National Co-op and WIL Month from March 1 until March 31, 2022. Follow @CEWILCanada and #inspiredWIL for stories from institutions, students, employers and community partners across the country. For more information, visit our website.
About CEWIL:
CEWIL is Canada’s national association with over 1,400 individual members from 120 post-secondary institutions, representing over 100,000 co-op and work integrated students. Current members include employers who recruit post-secondary students, WIL practitioners, organizations and industry partners who support post-secondary student recruitment.
Areas of expertise within our membership include scholarly research, advocacy at federal, provincial, local, and institutional levels, WIL leadership, workplace EDI, curricular development, world class quality and accredited programs and more.
For more information on CEWIL Canada, please contact:
Charlene Marion, Director WIL, CEWIL Canada
Telephone: 819-434-1545
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.cewilcanada.ca
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