Project Support and Innovation

Engaging with future talent offers benefits for both employers and students. Employers benefit from fresh perspectives and innovative ideas that reflect the experiences and expectations of today’s increasingly diverse and dynamic talent pool. Students gain valuable opportunities to develop professional competencies and explore diverse workplace environments. At the same time, these engagements also promote inclusivity by creating space for students from all backgrounds to connect meaningfully with industry professionals. Additionally, they provide employers with early access to a broad range of potential candidates who bring unique strengths to future recruitment efforts.

Fast fact: McMaster facilitated more than 2,500 experiential learning placements during the 2024–2025 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.

The Hackathon/designathon was a great way for our organization to see what the students are learning and how much they know about design. The participation level was excellent and the leaders were attentive and well informed on the day.

— Career Trek host

The Experience Ventures program has been significantly helpful for our start-up’s ability to bring on new talent and grow our expertise, while mentoring students and helping them refine their passions and strengthens.

— Experience Ventures 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 by 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 logo

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.)

Have questions? Contact experiential@mcmaster.ca.

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 require a commitment of no more than five hours a week over a four-month period, or 80 hours in total.

Project submissions

Have questions? Contact experiential@mcmaster.ca.

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 of hosting the challenge, but not the cash prizes. Funding support might be available.

Get started with MindSumo

Contact experiential@mcmaster.ca to learn more.

Open your doors to the next generation of professionals by hosting a workplace tour for McMaster University students

This is your opportunity to:

  • Highlight your company culture and what makes your organization a great place to work.
  • Connect with emerging talent before they enter the job market.
  • Share your hiring practices and industry insights, positioning your organization as a leader in your field.
  • Build your talent pipeline by engaging with motivated students who are eager to learn and contribute.

Hosting a tour is a simple, high-impact way to boost your employer brand and inspire future applicants. Let students experience what makes your team and workplace exceptional.

Email experiential@mcmaster.ca to learn more.