Bringing the workplace to the learning place: Work-integrated learning at Lethbridge College
L
ong before it was called by the name ‘work-integrated learning (WIL)’, students at Lethbridge College have been gaining
In the current academic year, 95 per cent
shops. Wherever they end up, students
of Lethbridge College’s programs have
get the chance to put the theory and
a work-integrated learning opportunity
skills they learned in the classroom to
built into the curriculum. Those
the test in real-world settings.
the skills necessary to be successful
experiences look different for students
in the workplace through meaningful,
in every program. Nursing students
practice-based learning opportunities.
might choose to head to hospitals to
Whether that learning came through
put classroom theory into practice;
practicum experiences, internships,
future chefs might find themselves in
apprenticeships, applied research
some of the best restaurants in town
projects, or fieldwork, these hands-on
working and learning next to the pros;
experiences have been helping prepare
and interior design technology students
Goliana Rezk, a third-year student, spent
graduates to thrive in the working world
might have the opportunity to work in
fall 2021 working as a behaviour coach
for more than 60 years.
Lethbridge’s newest show homes and
for children for her WIL experience. She
6 Alberta School Counsellor / Spring 2022
The opportunity to learn in the workplace has made a real difference in the lives and learning experiences of business administration – management students in instructor Kelly Thompson’s human resource management class.
