MENU
Student Services
Work Integrated Learning (WIL)
Search

FAQ for Learn and Earn!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and Answers about Eligibility, Business Partner and Technical Details.

Keep this tab open to help you when filling out and submitting the application form.

Note: TBD stands for ‘To Be Determined’

Business/Employer/Community Partner Details

Q1: What if I do not know the business name yet?
A: Please indicate 'TBD' in your application form, and any information you do know, including the name of the Professor/Instructor and when they will be communicating this information. When your application is being assessed, you will be contacted and asked to provide this information.

Q2: I am enrolled in a teaching practicum in Spring 2023. What if I do not know yet which school I will be at for my practicum?
A: Please indicate 'TBD' in your application form and add any information or timelines that you may be aware of currently. When your application is being assessed, you will be contacted and asked to provide this information.

Q3: What if I do not know the business number of my employer partner?
A: Please enter “000-000-000" in the field titled “Employer/Community Partner Business number” in the application form. When your application is being assessed, you will be contacted and asked to provide the business number as applicable.

Q4: My business partner is SFU, how do I get their business number?
A: If your employer partner is a part of SFU, we can provide the business number. Please enter “111-111-111" in the field titled “Employer/Community Partner Business number” in the application form. The administrative team at SFU WIL will update with the correct business number for SFU.

Q5: I don’t know the Employer/Community Partner Organization Size. What should I do?
A: Please look up this information by searching online or contacting your employer/community partner and asking someone in HR or administration. If you do not yet know your employer/community partner’s particulars, please select 'TBD' from the drop-down menu. When your application is being assessed, you will be contacted and asked to provide this information.

Q6: How do I ask for a business number from my employer or community partner?
A: You are welcome to use the below email template to request your employer or community partner’s business number.

Dear [insert employer’s name],

I am applying to a bursary program offered by the Justice, Equity, and Inclusion Team at SFU Work-Integrated Learning. The program is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Innovative Work-Integrated Learning program and CEWIL Canada's iHub.

As a part of the application process, the federal government requires that I provide the business number of the organization I am working with. Can you please provide me with your organization’s business number for my application? You can locate your business number by logging into your organization’s “My Business Account” on the Canada Revenue Agency’s website.

If you have any further questions, please let me know. You are also welcome to contact Shari Virjee Tañada, JEI Strategist with SFU Work-Integrated Learning: svirjee@sfu.ca

Thank you, [Your name]

In the above cases, consider which Option (1 or 2) you are applying for, and note that Option 2 has a later application deadline of January 26th and a start date of January 30th

Eligibility

Q1: I am an international student. Am I eligible to apply?
A: Unfortunately, international students are not eligible for this opportunity.

If you are interested in learning more about the exclusion of international students from this opportunity, you may contact the individuals responsible for such decision-making processes:

Q2: How do I know if I’m eligible?
A: Eligibility is restricted to students who meet the following criteria:

  •  Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person with refugee status authorized to work in Canada
  •  Registered in a Spring 2023 curricular course with a “work-integrated learning” component
  •  Have a community organization or business partner involved in the work-integrated learning component

If you believe you may be eligible, we encourage you to apply, and your application will be assessed.

Q3: How do I know if my work/experience within my course/program counts as work-integrated learning?
A: As defined by CEWIL Canada, work-integrated learning (WIL) is “a form of curricular experiential education that formally integrates a student's academic studies with quality experiences within a workplace or practice setting. WIL can occur at the course or program level and includes the development of student learning objectives and outcomes related to: employability, personal agency, knowledge and skill mobility and life-long learning.” (Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada, 2021). This means that the work you’re doing is a formal part of a course or program for which you are receiving course credit. If you believe you may be eligible, we encourage you to apply, and your application will be assessed.

Examples of curricular WIL include but are not limited to:

For the purpose of this program, a curricular work integrated learning experience must involve a business/industry or community partner and you must have a supervisor or employer.

Q4: I am registered in a Teaching Practicum course in Spring 2023 and just found out the name of my school. Am I eligible?
A: Yes. Apply right away!

Q5: I am registered in a Co-op –Seeking course for Spring 2023. Am I eligible?
A: No. You must be able to confirm that you are in an active Co-op placement in Spring 2023.

Q6: I am currently in a Co-op Seeking course and hope to be confirmed with a Co-op placement in Spring 2023. Am I eligible?
A: Not yet. Consider applying for Option 2, which has a later application deadline and start date. You must be able to confirm that you are in an active Co-op placement in Spring 2023. Once your co-op placement is confirmed for the Spring 2023 semester, then you will meet the course eligibility criteria.

Q7: Does volunteering count as work-integrated learning?
A: It depends. Volunteering is considered a form of work-integrated learning (WIL). However, please note that to be eligible for this opportunity the WIL you are involved with must be a formal part of a curricular course for which you are receiving academic credit in the Spring 2023 semester. If you are volunteering in an extra-curricular capacity, then this does not meet the eligibility criteria.

Q8: I am working part-time at SFU in Spring 2023. Am I eligible?
A: Part-time employment that is not a formal part of a curricular course or program does not meet the eligibility criteria. The work you do must be tied to a curricular course or program for which you are receiving academic credit in the Spring 2023 semester.

Q9: I am a Professor/Teaching Staff. How do I know if my course is eligible?
A: WIL experiences normally include an engaged partnership between an academic institution, a host organization/employer, and a student. In some cases, SFU plays a dual role, as academic institution and host organization/employer. Reach out to the WIL JEI staff to share more about the capacity for work-integrated learning in your course. Applications will be reviewed and assessed and may be followed up as necessary before a student's acceptance into the program is confirmed. Please note that per eligibility requirements for this bursary program, your course must be offered during Spring 2023.

Q10: I am in a course with a lab component. How do I know if it's eligible?  
A: It’s not enough that students present findings to the larger class.  The lab component is eligible when it represents applied learning in the real world, by, for example, an instructor enabling students to work with material from their own entrepreneurial business, with a group or organization that’s part of an SFU public-private partnership, or a community project engaging students with real-world problems and involving a supervisor or employer. Feel free to reach out to your instructor to let them know about this bursary program and to obtain more information about the lab component.

Technical Details

Q1: Do I need to pay $250?
A: No, there is no fee to apply or participate in this opportunity. The administrative costs associated with this opportunity will be fully covered, therefore the professional learning opportunity is free to you.

Q2: When will I get the $800 bursary?
A: You can expect to receive your bursary approximately 2-3 weeks after completion of the opportunity. If you have completed all requirements, then the $800 bursary will be deposited directly into your SFU Student Account. Please note that you must complete all requirements as specified in Canvas in order to receive your bursary.

References

Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada. 2021. What is Work-Integrated Learning (WIL)? CEWIL Canada. https://cewilcanada.ca/CEWIL/CEWIL/About-Us/Work-Integrated -Learning.aspx?hkey=ed772be2-00d0-46cd-a5b8-873000a18b41

Search
Search
close