BHER announces new WIL partnerships

The Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) is pleased to announce nine new work-integrated learning (WIL) partnerships. Thanks to generous support from the Government of Canada, post-secondary institutions and industry organizations will activate innovative approaches to increase access to experiential learning for students and employers often left out of traditional WIL. 

These new partnerships will create 5,000 WIL opportunities that are more flexible and accessible than traditional placement-based internships or co-ops. Innovative WILs are especially beneficial for small- and medium-sized employers and rural businesses, which have capacity and resource challenges when hiring students. They also serve students who are underrepresented in WIL, including students in Arts, Indigenous students, students in remote communities, and students with time or financial barriers to traditional placements. 
 
As returning partners with The Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) on the work-integrated learning (WIL) partnerships, TechAlliance of Southwestern Ontario is leading collaborations with Fanshawe College, Huron University College and the London Chamber of Commerce to facilitate connections between London’s scaling companies with student talent from some of Canada’s prestigious post-secondary institutions. Recognizing the nations need for job creation, leveraging a diverse talent pool and creating positive conditions for high-potential ventures, this partnership fuels out-of-the-box thinking leading to innovation and successfully equips youth with “future of work” skillsets. Engaging with several TechAlliance innovative ventures alongside other businesses, not-for-profits within London, and more than 2,300 students in the past two years, we are thrilled to partner again with BHER on this initiative that directly aligns with our mission of bolstering a vibrant Canadian tech ecosystem. 

“Innovative approaches to WIL, like industry projects, bootcamps, micro-credentialing, virtual reality, and more, help close the gap for students and employers who aren’t able to do traditional WIL,” says Val Walker, CEO of BHER. “These new partnerships play a key role in BHER and the Government of Canada’s commitment to ensuring 100% WIL for every post-secondary student in Canada.” 
 
“TechAlliance is thrilled to partner with BHER to foster innovation and shape the future of Canada’s tech ecosystem. By providing students with hands-on experience through work-integrated learning opportunities, we’re nurturing talent, diversifying skill sets, and propelling Canada towards its goal of becoming a global tech powerhouse. WIL underscores our commitment to fostering a vibrant tech community that thrives on creativity, collaboration, and inclusivity, ultimately fueling the growth of high-potential ventures and bolstering Canada’s competitiveness,” says Christina Fox, CEO of TechAlliance. 
 
To date, BHER has delivered over 58,000 WIL opportunities in partnership with over 200 industry organizations and post-secondary institutions across the country, strengthening talent pipelines for Canadian employers. 

To schedule an interview with BHER, please contact [email protected]. 
 
We are partnering with Fanshawe College, Huron University College, and the London Chamber of Commerce to connect students to local small- and medium-sized employers through curricular industry projects. If you are interested in participating in this initiative, fill out a short form here. 

For further media inquiries, please contact Farida Abdelnabi, Communications Manager.