Riipen’s REACH UP program announces the 15 new academic institutions joining the program

Vancouver, B.C. – December 19, 2023 – The REACH UP Program (Riipen’s Experiential, Accessible, Canadian Hands-on-Learning) builds on the successful partnership between Riipen and the RBC Foundation, through RBC Future Launch. In 2019, RBC Future Launch and Riipen partnered with the goal of increasing access to high-impact authentic work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities for Canadian post-secondary learners. The program's mission is to help prepare learners, particularly those from underserved communities, for the Future of Work.

“When young people succeed, we all succeed and access to industry networks is important to create equal access to employment opportunities for young leaders,” says Mark Beckles, Vice President of Social Impact and Innovation, RBC. “We’re proud to continue our partnership with Riipen in support of their efforts to deliver inclusive and accessible work-integrated learning to students from across Canada.”

Over the past 3 years with support from the RBC Foundation through RBC Future Launch, Riipen has delivered over 27,000 WIL experiences to a diverse range of learners and educational partners across Canada.

The 27 participating institutions reflect the emphasis of our partnership on increasing access, diversity, and inclusion across Canada. Through this partnership, learners had the opportunity to collaborate with employers to enhance their skills development, workplace readiness, and employability.

“We are thrilled to continue and scale our partnership with the RBC Foundation through RBC Future Launch and welcome the new 15 institutions that are joining us. This collaboration not only empowers academic institutions but also reinforces our commitment to providing meaningful work-integrated learning projects to all students. Together, we're shaping the future by connecting students with real-world experiences, bridging the gap between education and employment." - Dana Stephenson, CEO of Riipen

Welcoming the new 15 academic institutions to join Riipen supported by RBC Future Launch to make WIL more accessible for students of all backgrounds.

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British Columbia:

• College of the Rockies
• Langara College
• Selkirk College
• University of Victoria
• Vancouver Island University

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Maritimes:

• University of Prince Edward Island

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Northern Canada:

• Yukon University

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Ontario:

• Fleming College
• Nipissing university
• University of Guelph

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Prairies:

• Concordia University of Edmonton
• First Nations University of Canada
• Great Plains College
• Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
• University of Calgary

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About Riipen

Riipen is the world’s largest online work-integrated learning marketplace with a mission to end underemployment and close the skills gap. Riipen partners with governments, colleges, universities, and short-cycle training providers to provide authentic accessible online training for employment-focused skills and technical/professional proficiency. By connecting learners of all ages to employers from all sectors via customized Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) projects tailored to the individual needs of diverse learners, Riipen contributes to closing the skills gap, and levelling the playing field in the labour market for learners from underserved communities, thereby advancing workforce equity, diversity, and inclusion. Riipen has successfully and proudly implemented 13.1 million hours of upskilling, reskilling and job training projects for over 205,000 learners via more than 33,000 employers and 630 academic partnerships, portals and training providers in 9 countries, in both English and French.

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For media inquiries:

Midia Shikh Hassan, Manager of Strategic Partnerships & Thought Leadership

Email: marketing@riipen.com