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To: Deans, ACDT and WIL Managers

From: Office of AVPA / Office of Work Integrated Learning & Experiential Education

Re: COVID-19 Contingency Plan for Completion of WIL Credits in 2019/03

Recommendations: Completion of WIL Credit – Spring/Summer Term (2019/03)

1) Provide increased flexibility around the current parameters of WIL courses (see Appendix 1 for

more details). Examples: 1.1) being lenient with start and end dates of a WIL course. 1.2) decreasing the expected number of WIL hours while still meeting Ministry requirements. (see Appendix 2 for more details regarding degree level WIL). 1.3) crediting an industry project as a WIL credit, i.e. Riipen projects, applied research projects, capstone projects, etc. while ensuring WIL course learning outcomes are met. (see Appendix 2 & Appendix 3 for more details). 1.4) allowing for hybrid delivery of the WIL credit: a combination of projects, assignments and work placement (if applicable). 1.5) considering PLAR (prior learning assessment and recognition) towards the completion of the WIL credit (i.e. prior/current work experience).

2) Students on placements (paid or unpaid) and with employer approval will be able to complete their WIL credit remotely (see Appendix 4 for resources for employers to support students working remotely and Appendix 7 regarding WSIB Q&As).

3) For programs that have two streams (one with a WIL requirement, and one without WIL) provide students with the opportunity to transition into the non-WIL stream.

4) Defer the WIL credit to the following semester at no charge to the student. Consideration required

for: 4.1) international students: extension/renewal of visas and work permits ($150-$250/student), extra accommodation and living expenses for extending the academic year, a potential drop from full-time to part-time status. In addition, a drop to part-time status could impact eligibility for the post-graduation work permit (PGWP). Government Resources: Information regarding implied status for work permit holders: Click Here 4.2) challenges in deferring credits for various GBC departments, including the registrar team, finance, database, etc.

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4.3) WIL practitioners may experience a surplus of students who need to complete their WIL placements in subsequent semesters.

5) Promote field placement opportunities within the college to maximize opportunities for students. GBC as the host organization for the WIL credit. (i.e. placements within divisions and corporate services).

6) Promote alternate strategies for securing WIL placements (i.e. self-directed WIL search).

7) Appendix 5: FAQs: Work-Integrated Learning / COVID-19. To be posted on GBC website.

8) CEWIL additional resources: Click Here

Note: The college advises all divisions to keep track of changes/alternate delivery strategies employed in each program (see Appendix 6 - Course Delivery Changes (201903 Semester) Tracking)

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Appendix 2

About Riipen & Virtual WIL

Overview Riipen has been made aware of a shortfall in student placements and co-op opportunities due to COVID-19. With uncertain economic conditions and closure of physical office spaces, many employers are hesitant to commit to onboarding, training and hosting a student for a period in which their business may be going through unprecedented change. As an alternative to a traditional field or co-op placement, Riipen can offer you the opportunity to solicit paid, virtual placements from our network of 5000+ industry partners. Based on our customer discovery, companies are more likely to commit to project-based virtual opportunities at this time rather than longer term, open ended placements. If this is something that can help bridge the gap in student placements at your institution, we will work with you to identify virtual internship opportunities for your students at no cost. Please contact Rebecca Tapiero at rtapiero@georgebrown.ca, for next steps.

Implementation 1. With Riipen’s support, post a “course page” describing the opportunity for employers. a. Provide concrete examples for employers, so they understand what students can do and what a good

proposal looks like b. List clear commitments, including the expected dollar amount committed by the employer and their time

commitment. c. Describe this as a project-based opportunity rather than a more traditional open-ended internship, to help

adapt to current needs. Example page: https://staging.riipen.com/courses/2903/details 2. Riipen will promote the opportunity to our existing industry partner network and to new employers.

Optionally, use the ‘Invite Company’ button on the course page to invite your own partners to apply. 3. Employers submit virtual internship project proposals. The WIL coordinator reviews proposals for

appropriateness. We recommend having a call with employers who apply to confirm details. 4. Approved projects are shared with students through the platform or offline, depending on preference.

Matching of students to employers is managed by the WIL coordinator.

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5. Students start their virtual internship projects through the Riipen platform. This can be individual or in

teams. Steps and deliverables are tracked using the Milestones and File Sharing features, which makes progress visible to the employer and coordinator. Communication with the employer takes place over Riipen messages or video conferencing. The coordinator can choose to be included in the Riipen message thread with the employer or not, depending on the required level of oversight. Virtual meetings can be booked through Riipen’s meeting booking feature. Feedback is given from employer to student, and vice versa, using Riipen’s in-platform rating tools. Feedback is automatically populated to the Riipen student portfolio.

Future Development As we work quickly to adapt to changing times, we are proposing to use the platform as-is to source virtual internships in the short term. As usage increases, we can invest in product features to handle the student-employer matching in an internship context.

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Appendix 3

Ontario Heads of Co-op (HOC) – Letter to PEQAB Board RE: COVID-19

Dear PEQAB Board of Directors, As you are no doubt aware, our students, institutions, employers, province, country and the world are currently attempting to maneuver through a global crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. On behalf of many of the Ontario colleges who offer degree-level programming, we would like to propose a possible solution to support student credential completion during this extraordinary time. While it is our intention to promote, support, and enable student work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences this summer where students and employers-partners are willing, we are also unsure of the ability for all students to successfully complete spring/summer 2020 experiences. For example, student WIL experiences have already been cut short for the winter term due to COVID-19 and students scheduled for WIL in the spring/summer of 2020 are very concerned and experiencing anxiety and distress over this situation. This proposed solution is in order to provide some assurances to college degree students who may be concerned that their credential completion may be impacted. We would like to propose the following system-wide recommendations. Current Winter 2020 Semester:

• Students to be given credit for incomplete work-integrated learning experiences based on individual college requirements.

In this case, institutions will ensure that faculty or other appropriately credentialed individuals validate that students have substantially achieved learning outcomes, notwithstanding that they may fall short of week or hours requirements. Where possible, employer-partners will also verify these learning outcomes. In the event of business shut-down or other extenuating circumstances, colleges can demonstrate good faith effort to obtain such evaluations.

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Upcoming Spring/Summer 2020 Semester:

• In those cases where a degree program includes more than the minimum PEQAB required WIL experience, the additional experience may be exempted from student program completion requirements in this exceptional situation; and

• In the event the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacts the ability to secure and successfully complete PEQAB appropriate WIL opportunities, colleges may provide students with a substitute opportunity that ensures the degree level standard and the program learning outcomes are substantially achieved.

An example of these alternatives might include college driven opportunities such as faculty led research project(s) that are aligned with the degree level standard. While application of theory is a cornerstone of college education, in this situation, we would propose the inclusion of projects that may or may not include a designated employer partner so long as there is alignment with and demonstrable achievement of degree level standard and program level learning outcomes with some sort of vocationally relevant content.

On behalf of the Heads of Co-op, we ask that you consider this proposal and appreciate your time and attentions. Sincerely, Cory Latimer Manager, Cooperative Education Chair, Heads of Co-op

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Appendix 4

Resource for Employers - Supporting students remotely

1) Clearly communicate Working from Home (WFH) guidelines and expectations

Many students are new to the workforce and have not had remote work experience. It’s wise to establish a central place for staff to access supporting documents from home. This would include work from home policies, guidelines, expectations, ways to obtain support, and notes on flexibility.

Students ask:

• Do I still need to work my original 9-5 hours, or is there flexibility? • Am I expected to respond to emails that come after hours? • Will aspects of my role be adjusted to support remote work?

Resources for support:

• Five Steps to Setting Up and Effective Work From Home Policy (Timesheets) • The 10 Rules Found in Every Good Remote Work Policy (TechRepublic)

2) Offer a clear system for tracking and managing work

You need to be clear about how your employees can track their work, be accountable for their actions, resolve conflicts, and keep in touch with core members of the team for guidance and collaboration.

Students ask:

• How do I log my time and ensure accountability for my work? • What happens if I receive an ask that I can’t facilitate in my home environment? (i.e. sending or

receiving physical items from a storage room) • Will there be instructions to help guide me through using new technology? (i.e. how to connect

to the VPN, navigate file servers, appropriately save files, or use Skype or Teams appropriately)

Resources for support:

• Managing a Remote Team? Here Are 10 Tools That Can Help (Inc) • 11 Tools for Tracking Your Remote Staff’s Productivity (Business.com)

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3) Provide reliable technology and resources

While most people only require a computer, phone, strong WiFi and reliable software to work in remote locations, ensure you ask your team what their needs are. It’s also good to have open communication channels, along with a reliable video/phone conferencing system (i.e. Outlook, Skype, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Slack).

Students ask:

• What if my WiFi is unreliable? • What if I go over my WiFi bandwidth – can I be reimbursed? • What course of action will be taken if I don’t have access to technology/software or resources

required for my position?

Resources for support:

• Best Technology for Working Remotely: 6 Remote Working Tech Tools (OWLLabs) • 31 Tools Every Remote Worker Needs (Skillcrush)

4) Ensure leadership visibility and communication

In order to successfully transition your staff to work remotely, you need to ensure everyone – especially supervisors and leadership team members – are present, visible and available to be reached online.

Students ask:

• Is there an individual I can contact if I need an immediate response on an urgent matter? • Will there be designated times where the full team will be online for questions/open discussion?

(i.e. digital team meetings, project-specific collaboration meetings) • Can I have firmly scheduled one-on-one meetings with my supervisor?

Resources for support:

• Five Ways to Increase Visibility at Work When You Work from Home (Flexjobs) • Get on the Fast Track: How to Create Visibility When You Are A Remote Professional

(Sophaya)

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5) Consider new ways to unify your team

It is key to understand that remote work might not be easy, or even possible, for every industry or team. It takes time to get comfortable working from home and shifting company policies to allow for remote work won’t happen overnight. Think about how you can unify your team to begin working from home and establish a plan to keep teams connected and communicative while they are off-site.

Students ask:

• How can you ensure I’m developing critical skills that meet my student evaluation requirements? (i.e. teamwork and interpersonal communication)

• How can you help ensure that my performance evaluation will not be negatively affected by working remotely?

• Will there be any exceptions or circumstances around engaging as a team remotely? (i.e. will there be times where we are clearly still required to work or collaborate in-person?)

Resources for support:

• Virtually Alone: Real Ways to Connect Remote Teams (Strategy & Business) • Unify Your Remote Workforce with These 12 Management Tactics (Forbes)

Additional resources:

• Working from Home During the Coronavirus Pandemic: What You Need to Know • Resources for Companies Embracing Remote Work (Gitlab) • Best Practices for Working Remotely (Udemy) • How to Setup Remote During Coronavirus (Fast Company) • How to Embrace Remote Work (Trello) • New to Working from Home? Here are Some Tips to Help You Meet Like a Pro (Zoom) • How Telecommuting Can Save Your Team: 3 Top Tips To Manage Any Team Remotely • Amid Coronavirus Fears, How to Support a Shift to Remote Work (exaqueo)

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Appendix 5

FAQs: Work-Integrated Learning / COVID-19 Q: What happens to my work-integrated learning opportunity (co-op, internship, practicum, clinical placement, or field placement)? A: Students should contact their field placement coordinator to confirm the status of their placement. You can direct questions to the appropriate contact person, listed below:

• Nursing - clinicalplacement@georgebrown.ca • Health & Wellness/Health Services Management - kcallemartinez@georgebrown.ca • WAVE Clinic - georgebrown.ca/wave/dentalclinic/ • Community Services & Early Childhood - Esmeralda.Prifti@georgebrown.ca • Culinary Arts & Hospitality – hdyer@georgebrown.ca • Construction & Engineering Technologies - joxford@georgebrown.ca • Centre for Business -

Employers: bus_hr_coop@georgebrown.ca Students: coopinfo@georgebrown.ca

Q: What happens to the work-integrated learning opportunity that I had secured for the spring/summer 2020 term? A: Students should contact their field placement coordinator to confirm the status of their placement. Students may make arrangements to work remotely, if possible and agreed by student, employer, and coordinator/officer. Q: What about my international placement, co-op, or internship? A: All college-related international travel has been cancelled until further notice, and international opportunities are not being approved for the spring/summer 2020 term. If an international employer offers a student to work remotely from Canada, please contact your coordinator/officer/faculty to discuss this in further. Q: I have an in-person interview in the coming days. What should I do? A: Please connect with your coordinator to make arrangements for a phone or online interview (Zoom, Skype, Teams etc.)

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Appendix 6

Course Delivery Changes (201903 Semester) Tracking

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Appendix 7

WSIB Coverage for Post-Secondary Students – Q&A

Q1 Will students on unpaid work placements have WSIB coverage during the COVID-19

outbreak?

A1 Yes, WSIB coverage under Policy 12-04-05, Coverage for Unpaid Trainees will continue. There

is no change to coverage due to COVID-19.

Note that WSIB makes decisions on claims for workplace insurance benefits under the

Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997. The ministry will continue, under its existing policy,

to pay WSIB for the cost of any benefits that the WSIB pays to a student who is injured or

becomes ill in the performance of their duties during an unpaid work placement.

Q2 What about students who are on placements with paramedic services or in other clinical

placements? Will they have WSIB coverage?

A2 Yes, WSIB coverage under Policy 12-04-05, Coverage for Unpaid Trainees continues for

students on placements in paramedic services and clinical placements, as it does in other

workplaces. There is no change to coverage due to COVID-19.

Note that WSIB makes decisions on claims for workplace insurance benefits under the

Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997. The ministry will continue, under its existing policy,

to pay WSIB for the cost of any benefits that the WSIB pays to a student who is injured or

becomes ill in the performance of their duties during an unpaid work placement.

Q3 If the clinical placement is suspended and restarts, we assume the same documentation

completed is fine and does not need to be redone?

A3 The WSIB’s policy does not address this specifically. As outlined on page 7 of the ministry’s

Guidelines for Workplace Insurance for Postsecondary Students of Publicly Assisted Institutions

on Unpaid Work Placements dated July 2017, it is up to the training agency to confirm the

placement days with the placement employer. The WSIB would not deny a claim because an

accident occurred outside of the specific days originally listed as part of the placement. Rather,

the specifics of the case, including any information provided by the training agency as to the

dates of the placement would be taken into consideration to determine if the circumstances

relating to place, time, and activity indicate that the injury was work-related, with respect to the

placement with the placement host.

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Q4 If the placement continues remotely/at home will there be WSIB coverage?

A4 Yes, the WSIB has confirmed that if placements were to continue at alternate locations or at

home, coverage would still exist. If the WSIB allows a claim and pays benefits to a student who

is injured or becomes ill while performing duties remotely for the placement, the ministry will pay

the WSIB for the cost of benefits.

In these cases, the WSIB’s Policy 15-02-02, Accident in the Course of Employment provides

guidance on the criteria that the WSIB considers when determining whether an injury arose out

of and in the course of employment. The criteria are: place, time and activity.

The WSIB has confirmed that, although all three criteria are considered by the WSIB, when

working at home or remotely, the criteria of activity takes on particular significance. The WSIB

determines whether the worker was engaged in:

• the performance of an employment duty,

• in an activity reasonably incidental to the employment, or

• in an activity of a purely personal nature (i.e., not incidental to the worker’s employment)

If a personal injury by accident occurred while the worker was engaged in the performance of a

work-related duty or in an activity reasonably incidental to (related to) the employment, the

personal injury by accident generally will have occurred in the course of employment. To

determine whether an activity is incidental to the employment, the nature of the work, the work

environment, as well as the customs and practices of the workplace are considered.

When working at an alternate location, consideration would be given to whether the accident

occurred in a place where the person would be reasonably be expected to perform their work-

related duties. For those working at home, whether the injury occurred in the part of the worker’s

home normally used for work, such as a home office, may be of particular relevance in

determining whether the activity is reasonably incidental to the employment.

It is important to note that any determination regarding “in the course of the employment” for at-

home work injuries, as for all injuries, will depend heavily on the unique facts and circumstances

of each case.

Although employers do not have as much control of the health and safety of workers who work

at home or at other locations away from an employer’s own premises, there are various things

that they can do. From a prevention standpoint, they may develop and have each employee

complete a health and safety inspection checklist of their home workspace or other location

where they intend to work. Also, developing certain rules and expectations may help control

some elements, such as confirming the hours of work and the location of the home office or

other places they will be working from. However, as you know, the employer’s responsibilities

and obligations in the event of an injury or illness remain the same as for workers who are

injured at a fixed workplace at the employer’s premises.

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Q5 For students on unpaid work placements who are now working remotely, will MCU’s

WSIB coverage continue to remain in place? As MCU would pay claims for these

students, can you kindly confirm if anything has changed.

A5 See #4.

Q6 In all cases, is COVID-19 covered?

A6 The following information is currently posted on the FAQs about WSIB claims page of WSIB’s

website:

Multiple potential sources of COVID-19 may now exist at work and at home creating challenges

in establishing work-relatedness when adjudicating claims.

For a COVID-19 claim to be allowed, evidence must show that the person’s risk of contracting

the disease through their employment is greater than the risk to which the public at large is

exposed and that work significantly contributed to the person’s illness.

To determine the work-relatedness of COVID-19 claims, the WSIB will look at details such as

the person’s employment activities, their symptoms and whether they have a diagnosis of

COVID-19.

While the nature of some people's work may put them at greater risk of contracting the virus, for

example those treating someone with COVID-19, this is a constantly evolving situation and any

claims received by the WSIB will need to be adjudicated on a case-by-case basis, taking into

consideration the facts and circumstances.

Please note: The WSIB does not provide coverage for people who are symptom-free even

when quarantined or sent home on a precautionary basis. However, should someone who is

symptom-free develop symptoms or illness while on quarantine, they may be eligible for WSIB

coverage.

For additional information, please see how the WSIB makes decisions about COVID-19

claims (PDF), a document that is linked in the ‘Workplaces’ section of the COVID-19 update on

its main website wsib.ca.

Q7 Can the WSIB confirm that this adjudication approach is for all COVID-19-related claims, not just those related to unpaid learners?

A7 The WSIB has confirmed that the adjudication approach for COVID-19 related claims pertains to

claims made by all workers, not just unpaid learners.

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Q8 Does the adjudicative approach for COVID-19 apply to all workers covered under WSIB including nurses and EMTs?

A8 Yes, the adjudicative approach applies to all workers. This includes paid workers, such as

nurses and EMTs, and students on unpaid placements, as well as healthcare workers who may

be called upon to assist in connection with the emergency declared by the Premier under

section 7.0.1 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.

Q9 How should colleges and universities interpret the ministry’s WSIB policy?

A9 Postsecondary institutions (i.e. “Training Agencies”) that arrange unpaid work placements for

students are best placed to work with placement employers to assess whether the employers’

working environments for student trainees participating in these such placements are safe.

The ministry’s policy on WSIB claims coverage is about covering the costs of any benefits paid

by the WSIB to a student trainee who gets injured or sick on an unpaid placement that is

arranged by a postsecondary institution. It does not prescribe for institutions what placements

must be arranged or when to continue or cancel them.

The ministry is not asking postsecondary institutions to change their usual approach to working

with placement employers to determine whether or not a workplace is safe. The ministry

understands that institutions rely on placement employers for advice on whether appropriate

health and safety precautions are in place. If institutions and placement employers have

questions about what constitutes a safe work environment given the COVID-19 outbreak, they

could seek the advice of local public health authorities.

Placement employers must also comply with their obligations under the Occupational Health

and Safety Act and other statutes to protect workers, which include unpaid student trainees that

are participating in an approved program of a college, PCC, university or other post-secondary

institution.

The WSIB has indicated that there have been no changes in coverage for student trainees

working in any locations, including hospitals or other clinical locations.

Q10 If individual institutions are responsible for working with placement employers to assess

if a workplace is safe or not, won’t this lead to inconsistent interpretations across the

province?

A10 The ministry recognizes that assessments of the safety of any given workplace may vary based

on the type of workplace and the individual circumstances in each location.

Postsecondary institutions that arrange unpaid work placements for students are best placed to

work with placement employers to assess whether the employers’ working environments for

student trainees participating in these such placements are safe.

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Q11 To what extent are colleges and universities liable should a student in placement

contract COVID-19?

A11 If postsecondary institutions are seeking further clarification regarding the extent to which they

would be liable should a student contract COVID-19 while on an unpaid placement or in any

other context, they should seek advice from their legal counsel.

The ministry’s policy on WSIB claims coverage is about covering the costs of any benefits paid

by the WSIB to a student trainee who gets injured or sick on an unpaid placement that is

arranged by a postsecondary institution. It does not prescribe for colleges and universities what

placements they must arrange, and when to continue or cancel them.

Local health authorities may be in the best position to provide advice to postsecondary

institutions and placement employers about COVID-19-related risks. Institutions are also

encouraged to consult with their legal counsel when assessing next steps regarding their

student work placements, including whether to continue, modify or cancel the placements.