The federal government should bolster programs supporting WIL, argue Sarah Watts-Rynard (Polytechnics Canada) and Dana Stephenson (Riipen). Watts-Rynard and Stephenson explain that a third of Canadian businesses struggled to find candidates with the appropriate skillsets last year, and that WIL offers a solution to this issue by bridging the gap between learners and the labour market. The authors write that an estimated 40% of Canadian students do not have access to WIL, and that participation must be accelerated to support the country’s economy. They recommend “harnessing the expertise of Canada’s polytechnics” by using the model offered by polytechnics and with sustained federal commitments so businesses and institutions can sustain and expand partnerships.
