CEWIL Resource Hub: Preparing for WIL at Wilfrid Laurier University

Students participate in a variety of Speaker Series sessions that provide them with skills and industry knowledge to assist in the co-op job application process and improve work term performance. Sessions may include case studies and training provided by employers, technical skills training such as coding and Microsoft Excel, networking opportunities and information sessions, or panel discussions featuring senior students.

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Key success factors

  • The series harnesses employers’ enthusiasm about engaging, training, and teaching students, which adds important value to their development and education.
  • Staff make a concerted effort to deliver unique content that suits specific needs, especially in small programs.
  • The series aligns well with the value of work-integrated learning and encourages students to realize that not everything they need to learn can be taught in a classroom.

Unique characteristics

  • The series offers students the flexibility to choose what they want to learn about and what skills they want to develop.
  • The series creates a more direct channel of communication with employers and alumni who want to help educate students.

Challenges

  • When the Speaker Series began, the organizers struggled to organize 20-30 sessions a year. The series built momentum quickly and now there are about 100 different sessions. Many employers return and new employers reach out on their own to offer sessions.
  • The series requires a lot of time and effort from staff to coordinate, track, create systems and policies, and schedule. Lack of staffing is a challenge as it's hard to ask existing staff to add it to their workload.

Student Testimonial 

Students provided the following testimonials in the 2018-19 survey:

  • "The Speaker Series was very inspiring."
  • "Amazing networking opportunities provided."
  • "I went to personal branding and loved it. Very helpful for learning how to present yourself."
  • "I found these useful as they allowed me to enhance both my hard, technical and soft skills when networking!"
  • "Amazing opportunities for self-growth."
  • "Really enjoyed the insights provided in the CEO-in-Residence talks and how they used their Laurier degree to get to where they are."

Key characteristics

  • Type: Preparing for WIL
  • Year program was established: 2015
  • Number of students per year: 712
  • Number of employers/partners per year: 80
  • Programs/academic disciplines participating: Business, Economics, Business Technology Management, Arts, Science, Applied Water Science, User Experience Design, the Professional Experience Program, Data Science, Computer Science
  • Duration of experience: The Fundamentals Course is a course made up of 7 core modules and is spread over 6 months, students must do a minimum of four Speaker
  • Series sessions that are at least an hour each.  Average participation in Speaker Series is approximately 8 hours per student.
  • Submitted by: Ian Schwartz and Kate Bullock