This session traces Canada’s journey in positioning work-integrated learning as a recognized national talent strategy. Drawing on the experience of the Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL), this session demonstrates how sustained, multi-year relationship-building across government elevated WIL from a niche educational practice to a credible workforce solution. It highlights how the shift was not driven by a single program or initiative but by persistence, presenting a unified sector voice, aligning WIL with evolving policy priorities, and investing in credible national evidence. Over time, conversations moved from explaining what WIL was to advising on how it could strengthen productivity, workforce participation, and regional development, reinforcing that influence is cumulative and trusted partnership is built long before it becomes visible.
Presenter
Anne-Marie Fannon
Director, Work-Learn Institute, University of Waterloo
Anne-Marie Fannon is Director of the Work-Learn Institute at the University of Waterloo and a national leader in work-integrated learning strategy and policy. She works at the intersection of higher education, employer engagement, and government to strengthen the systems that connect students to workforce opportunity. Previously, she led Canada’s national WIL association through a period of significant growth, supporting its evolution into a nationally recognized convener and trusted federal partner stewarding substantial government investment in work-integrated learning. Today, through the Work-Learn Institute, she supports institutional and ecosystem development initiatives in 31 countries, advising governments, associations, and universities on building durable employer partnerships and sustainable WIL infrastructure.
