The AscentUP program focuses on equipping individuals with the necessary skills and professionalism to excel from day one. Through targeted, professional development training and dedicated 1-on-1 coaching, we ensure our learners are not just ready but are adept at engaging in any professional environment.

At AscentUP, we combine career development resources with personalized coaching to enhance our students' professional capabilities. This approach aligns closely with your projects, providing you with candidates who are prepared to contribute meaningfully to your organization and to grow within their careers.

Employer Provided Innovation Challenges (EPIC) is an initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and is made possible by the generous support of American Student Assistance (ASA) and the Walton Family Foundation. EPIC provides learners and workers with access to authentic, employer-sponsored project-based learning through a network of business associations and other challenge providers. EPIC provides employers as well as education and workforce development partners with a standardized platform to scale and credential employer-sponsored challenges that support career awareness, exploration, and development. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is working with its national network of business associations and employers to make authentic project-based learning available at scale.

Talented YYC, an initiative fostered by Calgary Economic Development in partnership with a coalition of academic institutions, offers a platform to connect local employers with student talent via valuable work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities. This mission-driven program is crafted to arm the upcoming generation with practical skills and experiences through capstone projects integral to their academic programs. By targeting up to 300 learners organized into teams of 3-4, Talented YYC is set to deliver WIL projects that are not only a culmination of students' learning journeys but also a stepping stone into their future careers, focusing on critical areas such as Marketing, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Social Innovation.

Talented YYC aims to nurture Calgary's talent ecosystem by bridging the gap between academia and the workplace. The program's objectives include providing hands-on, real-world challenges to students completing their first degree or diploma at a Calgary post-secondary institution. While employers across Alberta are encouraged to participate, there's a particular emphasis on those based in Calgary, ensuring that the local economy directly benefits from these learners' fresh perspectives and skills. The capstone WIL projects ensure that students graduate with theoretical knowledge and the essential workplace competencies and professional networks that will propel their careers and contribute to the region's economic vitality.

Funded by the Truist Foundation, this project aims to support upskilling adult learners and develop practical experiences. The CAEL and Truist Foundation partnership encompasses a six-year multicity initiative that prioritizes Black, Indigenous, and persons of color (BIPOC) as well as underserved communities by building career paths in professions and industries historically unavailable to them, such as financial services.