More than 3,000 George Brown College students have gained real-world remote work experience thanks to our use of Riipen, an online platform that matches students with employers across Canada. We’re excited to kick off another amazing year with new projects.
We started using Riipen in 2018 to enhance experiential learning in the classroom, and that kicked into high gear during the pandemic when we used the platform to find virtual work placements for students.
George Brown students have enjoyed great success with Riipen and its Level UP program aimed at matching students with paid virtual work-integrated learning opportunities. Since 2019, we’ve achieved great results, including the following:
- 3,102 students have completed remote work-integrated learning experiences
- 237 unique employer projects were made available to students
- 81 courses have added remote work-integrated learning projects
Level UP
Through Riipen’s Level UP program, George Brown students gain paid remote real-world work experience that counts toward the work-integrated learning requirement of their program. Students can earn a $1,400 stipend per 80-hour project they work on.
“The Level UP program provides valuable experiences for our students. Learners get to put skills they’ve developed in class to use in real-world situations, and they also gain confidence by providing solutions for employers,” said Dario Guescini, George Brown College’s Director of Work-Integrated Learning, Experiential Education and Global Mobility.
Students must meet all three of the following requirements to participate:
- registered at George Brown College, with no age limit;
- a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act; and,
- legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations.
“Our project team really enjoyed the communication process. We met with [the employer] weekly, discussed new ideas and made sure we were on the right track. Working closely with the client allows you to ask questions, quickly get a response and modify work to ensure we deliver a good product,” said business student Duc Tri (Steve) Tran. “It’s a great experience for the students to work on a real product that will be used by a client.”
Level UP is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Innovative Work-Integrated Learning (I-WIL) Initiatives program.
Related:
Students get real-world paid experience with Riipen’s Level UP program
Computer Technology grad says virtual work placement launched his career
