Pathways to Careers
Advancing Neuroinclusive Work‑Integrated Learning in Higher Education
Français • May 28, 2026
Work-integrated learning (WIL) can jump-start careers, yet too many neurodivergent students are missing out.
Signal49 Research, in partnership with the Future Skills Centre, is exploring how post-secondary WIL providers and workplace hosts can design more inclusive programs that set neurodivergent students up for success.
In this project, we will do the following:
- Build a national picture of neurodivergent students’ WIL experiences through a survey examining participation rates, key barriers, and the factors that shape high-quality experiences and early career outcomes.
- Spotlight neuroinclusive WIL in action by combining case studies of existing programs with student and stakeholder interviews that reveal what’s working, where students still struggle, and what can be scaled.
Work-integrated learning (WIL) combines classroom learning with structured, meaningful experience in a workplace or professional setting. It is built through collaboration between three partners: the student, the post-secondary institution, and the employer or host organization.
Common examples include:
- co-operative education (co-op)
- internships
- practicums/clinical placements
- apprenticeships
- field placements
- entrepreneurship/start-up programs
- applied industry or community-based projects
- service learning
- virtual placements/simulations
- competitions and hackathons
Where barriers show up
Neurodivergent students face barriers at multiple points throughout the WIL journey, including:
- institutional systems with unclear processes or complex administrative requirements that make it difficult to access opportunities
- learning and workplace environments that create sensory and accessibility challenges
- supervisory and social dynamics shaped by unclear expectations and limited accessibility training
- support structures that rely on inconsistent or reactive accommodations rather than proactive solutions
The cost of exclusion
When neurodivergent students are unable to access or meaningfully participate in WIL, they lose out on essential opportunities to build practical experience, develop essential skills, and form professional networks that support strong career pathways.
This not only limits their long term prospects—it also constrains the talent pool. Employers miss out on unique strengths, limit their innovation potential, and narrow their recruitment pipelines. Designing WIL programs with inclusion at the centre expands access to capable, ready to contribute talent.
Who is doing neuroinclusive work-integrated learning?
Across Canada, a few institutions are testing new ways to make WIL more accessible for neurodivergent students.
- University of Calgary—Work-Integrated Learning for Neurodivergent Students: Provides targeted preparation for neurodivergent students and resources for employers supported by campus‑wide tools that improve sensory accessibility (Tactile Toolkits) and dedicated guidance on disclosure, expectations, and workplace navigation.
- MacEwan University—Simulation‑based WIL preparation: Uses personalized, role‑play simulations to help neurodivergent students build confidence, practise communication, and prepare for practicums/placements in low‑risk, supportive settings.
- George Brown Polytechnic—Accessible Learning Services WIL model: Offers a college‑wide WIL guideline and a structured accommodation model, including clear processes for disclosure, strengths‑based planning, and pre‑placement preparation through the WIL Accessible Learning Services Toolkit.
- Wilfrid Laurier University—Sapphire Program (Enactus Laurier): Offers a comprehensive work‑transition program for autistic post‑secondary students that provides tailored career‑readiness training, 20+ hours of one-on-one job coaching, a supportive peer/mentor network, and access to paid internship/co‑op opportunities (with eligible Student Work Placement Program wage subsidies for employers).
Driving inclusive WIL design
By identifying the practices that empower neurodivergent students to fully participate and succeed in WIL, this study will help post-secondary leaders, WIL practitioners, and employers design inclusive pathways that benefit all learners.
It will spotlight high-impact practices, uncover persistent gaps, and deliver practical tools and recommendations to strengthen policies, programs, and workplace environments.
Learn more
Interested in learning more about this research study or participating in an interview or case study? Contact Dr. Jennifer Fane, Lead Research Associate, Education and Skills, at [email protected].
Explore more of Signal49’s neurodiversity research and resources:
- Breaking Down Barriers: Improving the Workplace Experience for Neurodivergent Canadians
- Making the Invisible Visible: Neurodivergent Students’ Experiences in Canadian Higher Education
- Creating Inclusive Campuses: Neuroinclusive Policies and Practices in Post-Secondary Education
- Navigating Higher Education: A Neurodivergent Student’s Guide
- Career Development Strategies to Support Neurodivergent Students
- Supporting Inclusive Work-Integrated Learning as an Employer
- Preparing for the Workforce as a Neurodivergent Student
FSC partners
The responsibility for the findings and conclusions of this research rests entirely with Signal49 Research.