Employers and industry partners

Access a skilled and reliable workforce, find smart solutions to staffing challenges, and future-proof your organization through research and innovation!

As the province’s only research-intensive university with more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students in over 100 academic programs, The University of Manitoba has the people, resources, and expertise to help your organization reach its goals.

A student student sitting at a concrete picnic table sitting at a laptop in front of a building with a sign reading "Brodie Centre".

Experiential learning partnerships office

The Experiential Learning (EL) Partnerships office is here to connect you to the next generation of leaders and innovators. We support all employer, industry and community organizations interested in collaborating with the UM through experiential learning.

  • EL Partnerships connects organizations with UM students, faculty and researchers to create innovative solutions to business and community challenges that give UM students the opportunity to develop new skills, explore diverse career pathways and acquire valuable work and community experience. 

    From recruiting UM students for employment and volunteer opportunities, to establishing connections with faculty and researchers, the EL Partnerships office is here to support you every step of the way!  

    Email us at ELpartnerships@umanitoba.ca to learn more about what experiential learning can do for your organization!

  • Three students chat with a potential employer at a career fair display booth.

Post a job opportunity

Share job and volunteer opportunities with over 30,000 students and alumni and stay up-to-date on the latest recruitment and experiential learning opportunities at the UM, such as our Fall and Winter Career Fairs.

UMConnect is a user-friendly platform for industry and community partners to engage with and recruit UM students for career and experiential learning opportunities.

Sign in or register for UMConnect 

Work-integrated learning

Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) is a subset of Experiential Learning that allows students, employers and the university to collaborate on mutually beneficial projects.

By addressing the real and concrete needs of industry and employer partners, WIL creates opportunities for students to develop the skills and experiences they need to kickstart their career journeys. Our students can work with you in research, writing, finance, technology, marketing, field and lab work, data analysis, health, and more.

How do our partners benefit from WIL?

  • Students bring new ideas, fresh perspectives, and enthusiasm to the workplace.
  • WIL programs offer access to diversely talented and highly motivated students and sometimes aid in vetting students before the hiring process begins, which reduces recruiting costs.
  • WIL students are short-term employees, which can be helpful to businesses in temporary times of need.
  • WIL terms may be an opportunity to evaluate a potential long-term employee before committing: many employers choose to hire co-op students after graduation.
  • WIL students can work on a wide range of assignments, from specific projects to general support. (adapted from CEWIL Canada).

    What does work-integrated learning look like?

    There are multiple ways in which employer and industry partners can get involved in work-integrated learning at the UM--from class presentations and case studies to field visits and creative works!

    Co-ops and Internships

    Our many co-operative education programs give students, employers and the university an opportunity to work together through meaningful partnerships. An employer who welcomes a co-op student into the workplace is receiving a highly skilled and motivated employee eager to learn and contribute. 

    To learn more about hiring co-op students, email elpartnerships@umanitoba.ca or visit our co-ops and internships website.

    Industry and business projects 

    • Small Business Consulting (IDM 4050): This course provides undergraduate students hands-on consulting experience and an opportunity to give back to the community. Students actively work with small businesses in Manitoba to help find solutions to their current challenges. 
    • Engineering Design (MECH 4860): Students apply the skills learned in mechanical engineering to a real-world engineering design project. Design projects are sponsored from Manitoba industries and students work through the various aspects of the design from problem definition, conceptual design, detailed design and the various design presentation stages.

    Events 

    • Stu Clark New Venture Championships: An exhilarating three days of business plan and elevator pitching at the Stu Clark New Venture Championships! Over 50 of Winnipeg’s industry experts and veteran judges will provide valuable feedback that will help student's take their venture’s next step towards success.
    • Nexus Data Science Challenge 2021: Teams of students pitch solutions to real challenges shared by three industry sponsors: 1)Addressing transportation network imbalances and improve profitability; 2) Create an algorithm to distinguish crops form weeds to optimize application of nutrients, pesticides and fungicides in production agriculture; 3) Use population movement and traffic patterns data to predict public health outcomes and inform preventative measures in a pandemic in Winnipeg.

    Curious about what work-integrated learning can look like for your organization? Email us at elpartnerships@umanitoba.ca to find out!

    Resources for future partners

    Contact us

    Find out what an experiential learning partnership with UM can do for you!

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