Another Successful Semester of WIL Opportunities with Costa Rica Global Learning Program
Building on previous successes, the WIL team collaborated once again with the Costa Rica Global Learning Program to offer WIL opportunities to a variety of our Longo Faculty of Business programs for the Summer 2022 semester. 14 Students participated this summer from our Human Resources, International Development, Global Business Management, Event Management, Hospitality, and Tourism Programs. While most students participated virtually, 1 student had the chance to fully immerse themselves in this experience live and in person in Costa Rica. Both in-person and virtual placements boast cultural experiences and career workshops, including Cultural Awareness and Spanish classes. Placements ranged from 8 to 14 weeks, depending on the program requirements.
The Costa Rica Global Learning Program provided a meaningful one-week onboarding process to set the students up for success before starting with their employers. During their placements, students were matched with mentors and had the opportunity to collaborate with other interns on multiple creative projects. The internship experience provided students with valuable insights about work/life balance, including flexible working hours, time management, developing a work breakdown structure with multiple project tasks, and intercultural communication. Students gained a global perspective on work and their respective industries and had to adapt from the fast-paced, structured North American culture of work to a more relaxed culture that lives by their unofficial saying, “Pura Vida” (simple living).
This experience will have long-lasting value for the students as they move forward in their careers, following their time at Humber. As one student shared, “The experience of working with team members from diverse cultures, work ethics, and time zones is very important and helpful to my career aspiration. It is an experience one can utilize in a multicultural country such as Canada”.
We look forward to future collaborations with the Costa Rica Global Learning Program and the opportunity to offer more meaningful and engaging global WIL experiences to our students.
