Workplace friendships have been linked to important employment outcomes. With the rise in remote work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences, there is concern about the implications of work mode for students' workplace relationships. Using a survey of co-operative education students, this study explored differences in the development of workplace…

Work-integrated learning (WIL) plays a crucial role in introducing students to work environments to enhance employability skills and career readiness. These opportunities are made possible through university-workplace partnerships. Despite the numerous benefits associated with such partnerships, effective initiation and management of partnerships…

This paper explores ways to support the wellbeing of neurodivergent individuals participating in co-operative education (co-op). The authors propose a theoretical model for supporting neurodivergent student wellbeing in co-op, based on the current understanding of wellbeing in WIL and interventions for neurodivergent individuals at work and in…

Work-based learning (WBL) is used interchangeably with other concepts such as work-related learning (WRL) and workplace learning (WPL). Work-integrated learning (WIL) considers WBL a subset within WIL. Some scholars and practitioners argue that WBL as a mode of learning is pedagogically incompatible with WRL, WPL, and WIL. WBL and WIL…

Youth unemployment remains a major political and socioeconomic challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, particularly given the region's young population. Literature points to two key barriers facing youth employment in the region, skills deficiencies and weak fundamentals that inhibit job creation and growth. Labor supply challenges are…

Fresh approaches to trades training are essential for decolonizing educational access and success for Indigenous people. Holistic approaches to supporting student success are needed for the unique learning needs and contexts of Indigenous learners. Community-based training presents opportunities for this type of innovation. Using a Canadian case…

Co-operative education (co-op) programs enable students to gain real-world experience by alternating work and study terms. Understanding employers' expectations of students in different disciplines is therefore critical for success. To do this, the relationships between co-op job postings, required skills, and academic backgrounds can be modeled…

Using a cross-sectional survey of co-operative education students, this study explored relationships between students' gender, work experience, time spent on tasks with supervisors, and self-reported learning. Inexperienced men spent 50% more time on tasks with supervisors than inexperienced women. Work experience (completing at least one…

Co-operative education is a form of work-integrated learning that includes academic study and paid work experience. This provides new learning opportunities for students and a talent pipeline for employers, but also requires participation in a competitive job market. This paper studies competition through a unique dataset from a large North…

The University of Victoria, Canada, strives to enhance undergraduate students' labor market readiness through work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences. Students with disabilities have historically encountered low participation and success rates in WIL, potentially resulting in their under-representation in the post-graduation labor market. To…

Cooperative education (co-op) programs combine coursework and work internships and have become popular worldwide. Using over 45,000 performance evaluations collected separately for in-person (2019) and remote (2021) internship positions, this study uncovered the characteristics of successful co-op students. Each evaluation included an overall…

Work-integrated learning (WIL) students are exposed to a range of stressors that can impact wellbeing. However, there is a paucity of research exploring stress prior to the work experience, such as in the job search and application process. To address this issue, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 undergraduate first-year…

Despite increases in Indigenous enrolment in post-secondary institutions (PSIs) in British Columbia, Canada, there are significant disparities in Indigenous student access, retention, and success in work-integrated learning (WIL) programs. By analyzing Indigenous-specific WIL literature, this article identifies existing barriers to Indigenous WIL…

Using data collected from co-operative education students at two different times over a four-month long work term, we test and find support for the hypothesis that students' approaches to learning explain the relationship between their lifelong learning characteristics and work adjustment. Students' lifelong learning characteristics were…

Universities around the world face a common challenge -- producing graduates with the necessary practical skills for employment. Cooperative education and work-integrated learning (WIL) make a valuable contribution to increasing graduate employability, however, there are differences in the level of cooperation from industry and government…