New programs provide examples of King's work-integrated learning

As part of Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) National Co-Op and Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Month, held every March, and the National Day of WIL on March 23, 2022, King’s is highlighting three career development initiatives that have been introduced over the past academic year: the King’s Promise, the King’s Job Shadow Program and Summer Internships.

 

The King’s Promise

The King’s Promise is a voluntary four-year program offering students a guarantee: within six months of graduation, participants will find a job aligned with the skills, competencies, and aspirations they developed at King’s. If they have not found such a job, students who completed all four years of the program are eligible to return to King’s for additional year of courses and career support, tuition-free.

As part of the King’s Promise, students complete activities supporting career development, enhancing pre-employment skills, and receive help to identify and articulate the value of transferrable skills and holistic personal development to potential future employers.

King’s students will gain first-hand experience in community and workplace environments through access to high-quality WIL opportunities, setting them up for post-graduation success in the working world.

Examples of such WIL activities include:

• King’s Job Shadow Program
• Internships (more on this below)
• Work Study – King’s has numerous on-campus jobs available to students through either the Work Study program for domestic students, or the International Work Experience program for international students
• Course-based (curricular) options including practicum courses at the third- or fourth-year level 

 

The King’s Job Shadow Program

Job Shadow placements are one-day opportunities for students to observe a professional in a career role they are interested in pursuing.

During the 2021-2022 academic year, 48 students registered in the Job Shadow program. Coming from a variety of interests, including law, finance, social work, community services, child and youth work, teaching, marketing, and administration, the students took part in job shadowing at 20 employer partners from London, as well as a few in Toronto.

“We are aiming to be able to connect students with a wide variety of jobs across many industries in London, including jobs in the non-profit, tech, business, financial and social services sectors,” says Jenny Richmond-Bravo, King’s Promise Developer/Experiential Learning Coordinator.

Feedback for the program has been positive and students come away with many advantages:

• Improved self-confidence while interacting in a professional environment
• Greater experience and awareness of workplace cultures and norms
• Increased knowledge about the daily tasks and expectations in a role of interest
• An opportunity to practice effective, professional relationship management skills
• A chance to develop new contacts and professional networks within London and surrounding communities

 

Summer Internships

Summer internships, first offered in the summer of 2021, are a one-term placement with a government, private sector or non-governmental organization to provide practical learning experience.

Applications are currently being collected for summer 2022, with a deadline of March 31. Students apply for a four-month internship in either the Social Sciences or the Arts and Humanities. After they’re approved for an internship, students can search and apply for roles through Western Connect. Students must be in second and third ear, returning to King’s the following September, and have a GPA of 70% or higher.

For more information on the range of experiential learning including work-integrated learning available at King's, please visit  https://www.kings.uwo.ca/current-students/student-affairs/career-connect/experience/