The CEL has advised the Ontario government on how best to foster school-work transitions and promoted experiential learning opportunities for students since 1999. CEL members bring industry, human resources, and educational experience from a range of industries and regions. The Council has worked cooperatively with industry associations, teachers, employers, and government. Members have reached out to employers in their communities, asking them to get involved in school-work learning. Until recently, the focus of CEL’s efforts to promote experiential learning has been high school co-op and similar programs.
For many years, the CEL has recognized employers through the Employer Champion award and the Ontario Employer designation. The CEL, in the forefront of workforce development and career education, championed the wide-ranging benefits of experiential learning before they were widely accepted.
With the Ontario government’s new Community-Connected Experiential Learning policy, a broader range of students will participate in experiential learning that will help them build knowledge, shape self-awareness, and support future career-related decisions. CEL efforts to promote experiential learning will encompass employers and other participating organizations that offer experiential learning opportunities to both elementary and high school students.