Work-integrated learning is such an important bridge between education and industry that it’s baked right into MacEwan University’s vision for the future.
The future of work is arriving faster than any of us expected, shaped by artificial intelligence, shifting economies, and new conversations about the future of post-secondary education.
As think tanks, employers, and universities ask big questions about what work will look like, what it is for, and where we will choose to put our energy, MacEwan University is taking action — by working with partners to help shape that future and to give every student the chance to learn in real workplaces, with real problems.
“We work at the speed of business,” says Dr. Annette Trimbee, president and vice-chancellor of MacEwan University. “We partner to find answers, and community and business leaders tell us that work-integrated learning, community-based scholarship, and social innovation opportunities allow them to tap into vibrant and innovative perspectives. Those opportunities are also core to our Teaching Greatness vision and key to how we prepare students for a world that is highly digital and deeply human.”
From digging into data to launching campaigns and pitching creative solutions to big problems, these five examples show how MacEwan students are already working with real partners on important issues, and building the skills they will need in a faster, more digital and uncertain world.
Tackling tariffs
As U.S. tariffs threatened Alberta’s exports, School of Business students partnered with Edmonton Global. They identified Alberta products and services exported globally that align with U.S. exports to tariff-impacted trading partners and developed strategies for how Alberta could leverage existing trade relationships to increase market share and boost trade efficiency.
Overhauling the food inspection system
A partnership with the Edmonton Journal led to a three-part series on restaurant food safety. Not only did Bachelor of Communications Studies students get hands-on experience in data journalism and investigative reporting, but their work also sparked an overhaul to the province’s restaurant inspection system.
Hitting the road
Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Design students partnered with Lexus of Edmonton to develop a real-world digital marketing campaign. After analyzing the business’s digital presence, identifying opportunities and conducting competitor research, they ran a one-week social media campaign with social posts, a carousel series, paid social ads and a video campaign concept.
Battling blazes
Multidisciplinary student teams tackled business problems for the Edmonton-based tech company Firesafe AI, which focuses on wildfire detection and response. Two teams of computer science, business, arts, and design students built a marketing dashboard and created an emotionally intelligent AI customer service agent, giving them direct experience with AI-enabled tools that employers are already adopting.
Getting to the heart of the matter
Bachelor of Design students worked with TELUS World of Science — Edmonton to develop a way to illustrate how the human heart works. Students saw potential for a virtual reality (VR) solution that could help visitors step inside a beating heart, showing how emerging technologies can make complex ideas more accessible.
Visit macewan.ca/greatness for more stories of innovation and impact.
