Placements and Project Support

The benefits of experiential learning are twofold. Students get to hone their professional skills and learn about the workplace, while employers receive insightful perspectives and fresh ideas that relate to current and emerging demographics and trends. Additionally, you can get to know potential candidates for future recruiting needs.

Fast fact: McMaster facilitated more than 2,000 experiential learning placements during the 2023–2024 academic year.

Connect with students who want to contribute to your organization

We facilitate multiple experiential learning opportunities to help you connect with students, including placement programs, short-term project support and more. Through these opportunities, you get to provide mentorship and help the future of the workforce develop their skills while contributing to your organization’s goals.

I cannot tell you the immense help the two interns I had this past summer were to me. Thank you so much for this program that is mutually beneficial for both students and employers.

— Career Trek host

Experience Ventures connects you with entrepreneurial-minded students

Experience Ventures facilitates entrepreneurial-thinking placements, which are structured, short-term paid opportunities for students to support your organization. We cover the payment, while you cover some of the logistics such as training, equipment and space. This program is powered the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary and funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Innovative Work-Integrated Learning Initiative.

Experience Ventures Form

There are five types of entrepreneurial-thinking placements:

  1. Hackathon: A one-day or two-day event where you provide timely problems related to your industry, and students address them with innovation solutions and ideas.
  2. Challenges: Taking place over several weeks, challenges require students to develop more complete solutions to social, business, design or community problems.
  3. Projects: You present students with a specific project, and we connect you with talented students from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds.
  4. Student-in-residence: Students work with you on multiple projects over the course of a term.
  5. Interdisciplinary team projects: You create teams of students from more than one discipline and provide them with a project.

The amount we pay students for Experience Ventures varies, and it depends on the type of placement. In lieu of student payment, we ask that you contribute to one or more of the following logistic processes:

  • Time/salary
  • Working environment
  • Equipment or materials
  • Job and skills training
  • Student expenses (participation in paid industry events, etc.)

Get effective short-term project support through Career Treks

McMaster’s Career Treks program offers you free assistance with short-term projects. Students provide a fresh perspective in the world of entrepreneurship, small businesses and not-for-profit organizations.

Examples of project support areas include:

  • Beta testing
  • Communications and marketing
  • Data analysis and input
  • Product development
  • Social media
  • Website maintenance and development
  • Accessibility projects and document remediation

Eligible projects should not require a commitment of more than five hours a week over a four-month period. This means that a project should not require any more than 85 hours in total.

Project submissions

McMaster students recognize the value of volunteering, and they’re eager to  make an impact

Year after year, volunteering continues to be one of the most popular topics for our students. Recruit students who want to contribute to your organization through our Volunteer Connections Program. Our program is free of charge and offers:

  • A platform to post your opportunities
  • Promotion to students
  • Support from our staff

To get started, visit OSCARplus and click on “employer” and create your profile. Then, you can start posting your volunteer positions.

Contact volunteer@mcmaster.ca if you have questions or need support.

OSCARplus

Crowdsource solutions to important problems with MindSumo challenges

MindSumo is a platform that allows you to submit a challenge or problem that your organization needs to solve. Then, students collaborate to come up with creative solutions that address current and emerging trends, demographic perspectives and more.

  • How does it work? Complete a simple challenge form that includes information about your topic, ideal outcomes and how you’ll use the challenge results. We’ll support you throughout the entire process, from helping define your topic to reviewing and rating the submissions.
  • Benefits to your organization: Hosting a challenge provides you the opportunity to assess and pre-screen potential future candidates. It’s a great way to brand your organization, help students in their career development and receive innovative solutions to your problem.
  • Why would students be interested? We offer students the opportunity to apply what they learn in class to solve problems and hone their career skills. Students whose ideas are selected are eligible for cash prizes.
  • Pricing: The Student Success Centre covers the cost to host the challenge and cash prizes for students.

Get started with MindSumo

Contact experiential@mcmaster.ca to learn more.

Participate in a fair or event

Leverage McMaster’s experience with virtual and in-person job fairs and career events to meet your organization’s goals. Sponsorship packages are available to increase your impact on campus and further spread the word about your organization.

  • Fall Career Fair (September): Campus recruitment season begins with Fall Career Fair, an opportunity to meet talented students and recent alumni from any academic Faculty.
  • Community Engagement and Volunteer Fair (September): Find students who want to make a difference and contribute to your organization.
  • Volunteer and Job Fair (November): Students wanting to explore part-time, seasonal and volunteer positions attend this fair to make connections.
  • Work on Campus: Summer Job Fair (January): Campus departments and organizations get to connect with students to recruit for summer positions.
  • Work on Campus: Summer Job Fair (January): Students and campus departments and organizations get to connect with students to recruit for summer positions.
  • Connect to Careers Job Fair (March): Connect with a diverse pool of students, alumni and job seekers in the Hamilton community. Connect to Careers is presented in partnership by McMaster University; Mohawk College; Redeemer University; Workforce Planning Hamilton; and Economic Development, City of Hamilton.
  • Volunteer and Job Fair (May): Students attend this fair to learn about summer opportunities and connect with organization reps.
Student and employer in conversation.

Connect to Careers Job Fair

Connect to Careers Job Fair Event

Recruit from a group of hundreds of career-ready students from three institutions and the Hamilton community. Find candidates with specialized...

Student and employer shaking hands.

Fall Career Fair

Fall Career Fair Event

Year after year, McMaster University’s Fall Career Fair has been a destination for recruiters seeking to connect with today’s top talent. Fall...

Student and organization rep at a fair.

Community Engagement and Volunteer Fair

Community Engagement and Volunteer Fair Event

Participate in this virtual event to connect with McMaster students and alumni who want to make a difference in the...