Igniting the spark for lifelong learning: The importance of work integrated learning programs
Embarking on a new career includes many unknowns—new colleagues to meet, new processes to learn and understand and new tasks to develop and master.
Post-secondary programs give students the educational foundation necessary for their success, but having the opportunity to apply that knowledge through a work-integrated learning program can often help students develop the skills and capabilities that aren’t so easily learned in a classroom setting. But while work-integrated-learning programs are beneficial for students, helping them develop necessary skills and mindsets necessary for success, they haven’t always been accessible to all students.
The Wavemakers program was developed to help fill that gap for students who have traditionally faced barriers accessing these types of work-integrated-learning opportunities, providing access to leading-edge mentors and connecting them with employers and peers. Wavemakers gives students the tools to develop new skills and approaches that can enhance their post-secondary learning experiences and other work-integrated-learning programs they enter.
“The Wavemakers program is educating the next wave of students. It brings together people who are different and they learn together, they work together and they develop the skills to do that when they get to the workforce,” says Michael Sangster, Chief Executive Officer for the National Association of Career Colleges. “The employers are at the table and the colleges are at the table and the students benefit from that. It’s a great model.”
Through its partnership with the National Association of Career Colleges, Wavemakers is expanding access to work-integrated-learning programs for diverse students enrolled in colleges across the country. This means more students can connect with meaningful work learning experiences and employers, developing the future-proof skills and mindsets they need to succeed in the workplace of the future.
“It’s really the beginning of lifelong learning. When you engage in a process of work-integrated-learning, you develop the skills to learn for the rest of your life and for the rest of your career,” says Sangster. “You start to lean on others to learn from them before your career starts. You learn how to think differently, and you develop the critical thinking skills that you will carry through your professional life.”
Understanding that learning is a lifelong process and developing the mindset to seize those opportunities whenever possible helps students stay relevant and competitive in a changing labour landscape. With access to the Internet, people can access workshops, online courses, webinars, self-guided study and more. Adopting this hunger for learning both during a work-integrated-learning program and once students have transitioned fully into the workforce is crucial, says Sangster.
“Always be curious, always be trying to learn something, always be learning from someone else,” says Sangster. “Whether they are 30 years older than you or 30 years younger, there's always something to be learned.”
Work-integrated-learning programs offer a practical, but lower stakes opportunity for students to get accustomed to the expectations and pressures of a work environment, but with an educational aspect. The experience can give students real-world experience that can help set them ahead of the pack, but it’s not just that practical experience that’s so beneficial.
The programs also help students develop cultural understanding, empathy and the teamwork skills that help them become more desirable candidates down the road, says Sangster.
“There's nothing more important than the culture of your people in your organization,” says Sangster. “And culture can mean different things to different people. But getting those employees who understand teamwork, understand diversity and inclusivity, and bringing them together to drive results—those are the companies that flourish.”
Do you have the skills you need to embark on a journey of lifelong learning? Become a Wavemaker and connect with the leading-edge speakers, inspiring mentors and innovative employers that can help prepare you for the workforce of the future.
Question: As the future of work and education continue to transform, lifelong learning will be increasingly important. What are some of the ways you’ve adopted this learning mindset to benefit your career growth and development?
About Wavemakers
The Wavemakers program is a first-of-its-kind work-integrated learning program that leverages cutting-edge, accessible virtual reality technology and forward-thinking speakers. Wavemakers provides post-secondary students from diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives with the opportunity to come together, develop and cultivate future-proof skills, and build long-lasting connections with industry leaders, to help their transition into the workplace. It’s about providing meaningful opportunities to a diverse community of future leaders who can tackle today’s big challenges with even bigger and bolder ideas that will carry us into a more positive and inclusive tomorrow.