求學加拿大重要一課 工學結合

What do you imagine when you think about a university education? Sitting in large lecture halls, listening to experts at the front of the room? Working hard on lab experiments or participating in discussion groups? Spending hours in front of books at the university’s library?

說到大學教育，你腦海中會浮現出什麼樣的畫面呢？是坐在大階梯教室前排聽專家講課？在實驗室裏努力做實驗？參加小組討論？還是在大學圖書館泡上幾小時“啃書”？

While all of these activities are likely to be part of most students’ experience at Canadian universities, increasingly students are also being encouraged to participate in activities that take them outside the classroom and into the community. Look at the web sites of most major Canadian universities and you’ll see that “hands-on” learning that allows students to integrate theories with practice is increasingly viewed as central to the university experience.

在加拿大，雖然這些都可能是多數大學生在校生涯的一部分，但學校也越來越鼓勵學生走出校園，到社區去參加各種活動。瀏覽加拿大主要大學的網站就會發現，其中大多數都有“動手”學習內容，也就是讓學生把理論和實踐結合起來，而且這種學習正越來越被看作是大學生涯的核心。

This focus on Work Integrated Learning (WIL)—programs that combine work with formal education—is the result of several factors. First, studies, including a series from the Higher Education and Quality Council of Ontario, show that students who complement classroom learning with learning in the community usually feel they learn more deeply and are more confident about themselves and their academic choices direction

這些把正規教育和工作實踐聯繫在一起的活動稱爲“工學結合”（Work Integrated Learning）。它引發關注的原因有幾個：首先，安大略省高等教育質量委員會（Higher Education and Quality Council of Ontario）的一系列研究顯示，完成課堂學習和社區學習的學生通常會覺得自己的學習更深入，對自身和選擇的學術方向也更有信心。

As the changing global labour market makes getting a job or getting into graduate school a lot more difficult, having work experience on your resume prior to graduation helps students differentiate themselves from their fellow students. WIL gives graduates a competitive advantage in the labour market, for graduate school, and for professional schools.

由於全球勞動力市場的變化，如今找工作或者讀研的難度大幅上升。簡歷上的畢業前工作經歷有助於讓學生脫穎而出。工學結合會讓本科畢業生在找工作或者報考研究生、申請去專業學院深造時獲得競爭優勢。

So what is WIL and what do students need to know about the different types of programs available to them at most Canadian universities? Most forms of WIL are optional, not required elements of a university degree, and some forms will be better suited to some students than others. Some of the most common types of WIL in Canada include:

那麼，什麼是工學結合？對於加拿大多數高校開設的各類工學結合課程項目，學生又需要了解些什麼？大多數工學結合都是選修課，並不與學位直接掛鉤，而且有些形式的工學結合項目只適合某一部分學生。在加拿大，最常見的工學結合模式包括：

Internships:Probably the most commonly used term to describe work experience in industry, Internships can mean paid or unpaid work of varying durations. Unpaid internships have come under scrutiny in North America in the past 2-3 years as stories of large, profitable organizations exploiting unpaid interns have captured headlines. As a result, practices around unpaid internships are changing, and more organizations are looking at bringing on interns either in paid roles, or from university programs that give students’ credit for their internships towards their degree program. Sometimes internship programs are part of a formal university program integrated with the degree, but more often they are opportunities that an employer posts and students apply for, completing them on their own time.

實習：這也許是實業領域描述工作經歷的最常用詞彙。實習包括帶薪實習和無薪實習，期限也有長有短。過去2-3年中，隨着大型盈利組織壓榨無薪實習生的報道屢屢登上新聞頭條，無薪實習在北美受到了嚴格監督。受此影響，無薪實習正在發生變化，越來越多的公司開始考慮帶薪實習，或者把實習作爲大學課程，讓參加實習的學生獲得拿學位所需的學分。有時正規大學會把實習納入獲得學位的課程之中，但在更多情況下，實習機會由企業提供，學生需要應聘並利用課餘時間完成實習。

In assessing an internship opportunity, consider: Is it paid? If not, are the volunteer hours reasonable given my other commitments? Will the experience count for credit towards my degree? Has the employer hired interns before? If so, what do past interns say about their experience? Will I be asked to do substantial work related to my degree and career goals, or will I be doing more menial work around the office? If I’m an international student, do I need a work visa for an internship?

評估實習機會時要考慮的因素包括：它是否帶薪，如果是無薪實習，學生就要綜合考慮其他方面的付出，進行比較，看花在實習上的時間是否合理。相關公司以前是否招過實習生，如果招過，那些實習生對自己的經歷作何評價？實習期間，是否有機會做大量和自己的專業以及職業目標相關的工作？還是說會更多地在辦公室裏打雜？對來自海外地區的國際學生來說，還要考慮實習是否需要工作簽證。

Co-operative Education (“Co-op”):Co-op is a formal university program through which students alternate multiple, full-time, paid work terms with their academic studies, and receive recognition on their university record for each work term. In Canada, most co-op programs will require students to spend the equivalent of 30% of the time spent in academic study doing co-op terms; for most undergraduate degrees, this means co-op students will complete at least 3 work terms. Co-op programs are run by qualified career educators and/or faculty. International students participating in a co-op program can apply for a special category of work visa through Citizenship and Immigration Canada enabling them to work off campus on multiple co-op work terms.

合作教育：合作教育是正規大學課程項目。通過這樣的項目，學生在讀書之外還要多次從事全職工作，校方則會把這些工作經歷記入學生的在校成績。在加拿大，大多數合作教育課程都要求學生每次工作的時間相當於該專業學時的30%；對多數本科學位來說，這就意味着學生至少需要參加3次這樣的工作。合作教育課程由有資質的專業教育人士和/或院系負責。參加這些課程的國際學生可以向加拿大公民及移民部（Citizenship and Immigration Canada）申請特別工作簽證，以便在校外參加這樣的工作。

In assessing a co-op program, consider: Do I see a benefit in doing multiple work terms to learn outside the classroom and explore various career options before I graduate? Do I want to earn money to help finance my degree? What types of support would the co-op office give me in applying for jobs and while on work terms? What kinds of experiences are available through co-op that I might not be able to get on my own? What are the fees charged for participation in co-op? Are there differential fees for international students who participate?

評估合作教育項目時要考慮的因素包括：畢業前多次到校外參加工作並探索各種各樣的職業選擇對自己是否有益？是否需要爲攻讀學位的花費去掙錢？該合作教育項目辦公室在自己找工作或工作條件方面能提供哪些支持？該課程項目能帶來哪些靠自己爭取不到的經驗？收費情況如何？對國際學生會額外收費嗎？

Community Service Learning (CSL):CSL refers to a formal university program through which volunteer work is part of a credit-bearing university course. The volunteer work seeks to address the needs of a community organization and includes structured reflection on the experience to link it with course content. CSL experiences are usually overseen by the professor teaching the course and may be supported by professional staff at the university.

社區服務實踐學習：這也是正規大學課程項目，它把志願工作納入提供學分的課程之中。這些志願工作以滿足社區組織的需要爲抓手，幷包括學生對這一經歷的結構性思索，從而把實踐經歷和課程內容聯繫起來。此類活動的負責人通常是講授該門課程的教授，同時可能由高校的專業教師提供支持。

In assessing a CSL program, consider: Do I want the opportunity to give back to the community through volunteer work? Do I like the idea of working in a community organization alongside a group of students in the course that I’m taking? Do I learn better by having the opportunity to apply theory to practice? How can I find out which courses offer CSL? What kinds of organizations usually partner with these courses to offer opportunities?

評估社區服務實踐學習時要考慮的因素包括：自己想獲得通過志願工作回報社區的機會嗎？自己喜歡和同一門課程的同學們一起在社區組織工作嗎？有機會把理論用於實踐會讓自己學得更好嗎？怎麼才能知道哪些課程項目包括社區服務實踐學習呢？通常是什麼樣的組織會和大學合作提供這樣的機會呢？

Other forms of WIL, such as practicums, field experience, and clinics are common too, but often in professional programs such as Nursing which require work experience for the purposes of certification or licensing. They are, as a result, likely to be required parts of a university education, not optional ones.

實習課、現場操作和臨牀實踐也是工學結合的常見形式，但它們往往出現在護理這樣的專業課程項目中。這些課程項目要求工作經驗的目的是通過認證或取得執業資格。因此，這些工學結合活動可能是必修課，而非選修課程。

As someone who’s worked in the field of WIL for almost 20 years, here’s my advice. When considering a university, ask about what kinds of WIL they offer. Think about how you might learn best, and what your goals are for your university experience. Choose a university based not just on its position in global university rankings, but also based on the quality and scope of the WIL it offers. Make the most of your undergraduate experience and graduate with more than just a degree.

作爲在工學結合領域工作了近20年的人，我的建議是：考慮上加拿大哪所大學時，詢問一下它們有什麼樣的工學結合活動。想一想怎樣做纔是最適合自己的學習途徑以及自己上大學有哪些目標。選擇大學時，不要只看它的全球高校排名，還要考慮其工學結合活動的質量和規模。希望大家儘量利用好本科階段，在畢業時拿到的不光是一紙文憑。