Sheridan bursary expands access for nearly 600 students

Sheridan College’s partnership with Co‑operative Education and Work‑Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada through its Innovation Hub (iHUB) has expanded access to unpaid work‑integrated learning (WIL) opportunities for students across the institution. This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Innovative Work-Integrated Learning Initiative. This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Innovative Work-Integrated Learning Initiative. This project is funded in part by CEWIL Canada's iHUB.

“CEWIL Canada is pleased to support innovative WIL experiences for students at Sheridan, where students have been able to receive financial support and recognition for their WIL experience,” says Charlene Marion, Executive Director at CEWIL Canada. “Funds such as these aim to eliminate barriers to WIL and increase access for all post-secondary students.” 
In 2025, this bursary program supported close to 600 Sheridan students who received financial support to complete unpaid WIL experiences that built skills, opened pathways and led to workplace innovation.  

Over $790,000 was distributed to students across 20 academic programs, with each recipient receiving either $1,200 or $1,500. Eligible WIL experiences included unpaid field placements, mandatory professional practice, and internships.

“With a focus on learners from underrepresented groups, this bursary transforms unpaid WIL into opportunity,” said Joanne Islip, Director, Career-Integrated Learning. “Hundreds of students are building in-demand skills, driving innovation in workplaces, and creating pathways to meaningful employment. We are deeply grateful to the Government of Canada’s Innovative Work-integrated Learning Initiative and to CEWIL Canada’s iHUB for their partnership and shared commitment to equitable, high-quality WIL experiences.”

A core focus of CEWIL Canada’s iHUB initiative is expanding access to WIL for underrepresented groups, and Sheridan strongly aligned: 100% of eligible bursary recipients who self-identified as belonging to an underrepresented group received the bursary. This includes Indigenous students, racialized Canadians, persons living with a disability, female-identifying or non-binary persons studying STEM, newcomers to Canada, LGBTQ2S+ students, students living in remote or rural locations, students with low socioeconomic status, mature students, and students in refugee pathways.

Sheridan has now received its fifth funding for the bursary program, having also been supported in 2021, 2023 and 2024. In total, 2,155 bursaries have been awarded to date, representing an investment of over $2.8M in unpaid WIL opportunities for Sheridan students.