WIL has an important role to play in helping our communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. But not every community has the same access to WIL. In particular, rural, remote and Northern (RRN) communities face a broad range of challenges that can impact their ability to access or provide meaningful training and employment opportunities.
First Nations, Métis and Inuit populations often face additional cultural and socio-economic barriers. And for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in RRN areas, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing challenges while presenting new ones.
At BHER, we believe that WIL is an important part of COVID recovery. To support inclusive and responsive WIL opportunities in rural, remote and Northern communities, we spoke with students, employers, and practitioners. We asked them about barriers and enablers to WIL in their regions.