Monday, July 23, 2023

If it’s true that only 20% of post-degree jobs are posted, then why do co-op programs, internship initiatives, and related forms of work-integrated learning continue to rely on these problematic forms of communicating available WIL experiences?

For graduate students from equity-deserving groups, job postings appear to be a barrier to access, even when they are written following best practices for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Job descriptions are necessary and important for long-term organizational sustainability, clarity, and the management of employee expectations. But a job posting is more than just a job description—a job posting has that list of minimum required qualifications, or desired skills and experience.

Drawing on the RFP model used by the Canadian federal government and think tanks, the UBC Arts Amplifier (amplifier.arts.ubc.ca) uses a question-and-answer session with employers in place of job postings for our paid internships and collaborative applied research positions. This presentation will share our process for facilitating effective Q&As for students to ask questions of WIL employers.

Speaker: 

Dr. Letitia Henville
Manager for Graduate Work-Integrated Learning Programs
Faculty of Arts, University of British Columbia

Dr. Henville is the 2023 CEIA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fellowship Recipient