Expanding skills and knowledge

EMILI works with industry and academic partners to strengthen the digital agriculture ecosystem. We do this by leveraging funding for placements, and by introducing students to career opportunities in this diverse and exciting sector! EMILI is passionate about creating opportunities for those with non-agriculture backgrounds to learn new skills and gain work experience.

We’ve summarized various opportunities and funding pathways to help explain what work-integrated learning is, and what resources are available for employers and students.

What is work-integrated learning?

According to the Future Skills Centre, work-integrated learning and experiential learning are often used interchangeably. They provide the following distinction:

  • Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) is “a form of experiential learning where students or employees have working placements or work-based projects as part of a multi-modal learning experience.”
  • Experiential Learning is “the acquisition of knowledge and skills through practice and reflection during a period of engagement, observation, and/or immersion.”

Hiring through WIL programs helps students gain new skills and connections. It also helps to build and strengthen the talent pipeline for the digital agriculture industry. EMILI uses the term work-integrated learning to describe placement opportunities that bring students into the digital agriculture ecosystem.