Hosting Placement Students: Information for Employers

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Hosting Placement Students

Hosting Placement Students: Information for Employers

Welcome employers! If you like the idea of...

Piloting a new initiative, expanding a project, or gaining a fresh perspective

Helping students gain hands-on, real-world experience

Giving back to the community

Collaborating with ��ҹ��վ in a meaningful way

Consider hosting one (or more!) fourth-year students from Kinesiology, Health Studies, Food and Nutrition, or Family Studies and Human Development.

Placements run from September to December (one term, 4 months), January to April (one term, 4 months) and September to April (two terms, 8 months).

What are employers saying about their hosting experiences?

Michael Wammes
First Episode Mood and Anxiety Program (FEMAP)

"We have had the pleasure of hosting students from the Health Studies and Kinesiology programs at our outpatient mental health clinic for early intervention in mood and anxiety disorders for the last two academic years. Both years we have been matched with excellent hard-working and passionate students interested in making a difference in mental health for young people. The proposal and selection process were incredibly smooth and the students that were placed with us were a great fit. The first year, our students created a comprehensive six-week program teaching patients about the benefits of exercise on one’s mental health, and even led a low-impact training session each week as well. The second year, our student has created a program for individuals interested in starting a yoga practice in their lives, also educating on the benefits. Both seem to have been well received by our patients. We would happily host students again in the future and easily recommend this process to other program areas!"

Andrew McClenaghan
Co-Owner, London Bicycle Café

"Hosting a student at London Bicycle Café in 2024 was a fantastic experience! The student supported our marketing efforts by researching and authoring insightful blogs that highlighted the health benefits of cycling, both physical and mental. Their work not only aligned perfectly with our mission but also added great value to our content marketing strategy. Allison (Placement Coordinator) made the entire process seamless from start to finish. Her guidance and support ensured everything—from submitting the proposal to the first day of hosting—went smoothly. She was always available to answer questions and provided clear, helpful communication throughout. The overall experience exceeded our expectations, and we were impressed by the student’s enthusiasm, research skills, and ability to deliver high-quality content. We would absolutely host a student again and highly recommend this program to other businesses. It’s a great way to gain fresh perspectives while supporting students' growth and professional development. Thank you for the opportunity to be part of such a meaningful initiative!"

Kyla Crocker
Program Director, MOVE by GoodLife Kids

"Partnering with ��ҹ��վ has been an incredible experience. So far, we’ve had the pleasure of hosting two practicum students who have brought innovative ideas and valuable contributions to projects focused on enhancing the participant experience in the MOVE by GoodLife Kids Program. Working with Allison (Placement Coordinator) has been wonderful—she is always available to answer questions and ensures that the entire process, from submitting a proposal to hosting students, is seamless. We look forward to continuing this partnership and supporting Health and Kinesiology students in gaining practical experience through their involvement with the MOVE Program."

Trevor Williamson
Director of Strength and Conditioning for EPIC

"Allison (Placement Coordinator) has been absolutely fantastic to work with as the main contact for setting up student placements. She has made every step of the process incredibly smooth, quick, and efficient. Her helpful and pleasant approach, along with her guidance through the new placement software, has been invaluable. My experience hosting students has been exceptional. I take great pride in providing an immersive learning environment where students gain firsthand experience in high-performance training and the speed, strength, and conditioning industry. As the Director of Strength and Conditioning at EPIC, the Elite Performance and Injury Centre, I am committed to continuing this partnership, sharing my expertise, and helping students further their education with real-world, hands-on experience. I highly recommend working with Allison for anyone looking to set up student placements—her professionalism and support make all the difference!"

Isma Malik
London Intercommunity Health Centre

"Hosting a student in September 2024 was a great experience, and we would absolutely host again in the future. Our student played an integral role in engaging with different teams at the Health Centre, helping to enhance public education and increase awareness of the various programs and services we offer. They also contributed to our ongoing efforts in health promotion, including recognizing important health awareness days such as World Diabetes Day and Hepatitis C Awareness Day, alongside broader cultural and community observances. The overall process, from submitting a proposal to welcoming the student, was smooth and well-supported. We appreciate the opportunity to be part of this program and would highly recommend it to other organizations considering hosting a student."

In The News

Amy Horton

Students create inclusive fitness program for local community

Experiential learning placement at London, Ont. YMCA leads to community engagement, real-world experience for fourth-year students

Employer FAQs

Do I need to be from a health provider organization, or be a registered practitioner myself to be able to host a student?

Not at all! We welcome applications from all types of organizations and individuals within them. Check out our testimonials for examples.

What will be my responsibilities?

You’ll have to define what the project and/or tasks are that you want a student to take on, review and interview (optional) the student candidate, fill out a few forms, provide the student with a fulfilling real-world learning experience in line with the learning goals we share with you, and complete two evaluations for them each term.

What are the placement details?

Students must work 75 hours in a 4-month term (6-8 hours a week). You and the student agree on the days and times.
Placement positions are unpaid.
You can host students from September to December; January to April or September to April.

What kinds of topics, projects, or tasks can students work on?

Students can contribute to areas including, but not limited to:

Exercise and Lifestyle, Physical Activity, fitness
Rehab
Health Policy, promotion, equity
Nutrition
Mental Health
Wellness
Allied Health
Recreation and Chronic Disease Prevention/Management programs
Fitness and education
Strength & conditioning
Allied health (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic)
Ergonomics
Etc.

Example tasks include planning, running, or supporting events and projects; conducting research; developing resources; and more.

See employer testimonials for more details.

What are some things I shouldn't expect from students?

Tasks that aren’t related to their field—for example, acting as a receptionist or doing general data entry. If you have a set of responsibilities in mind but you’re not sure if they’re a good fit, feel free to contact Allison at experiencefhs@uwo.ca or 519-661-2111 ext. 84582, and she’ll be happy to help.

Ready to host?

Please fill out this quick to get started.

What happens next?

Set up your account – Within 3–5 business days, you'll receive an email inviting you to register in our InPlace system. If you don’t see it, check your spam/junk folder.
Define the project – Log in to InPlace, choose a 4-month or 8-month option, and provide details about your organization and the student's tasks. We’ll confirm receipt of your request in 3-5 business days and explain next steps.
Get matched – We’ll go through your information and pair you with a student.
Review candidate(s) and decide – Review the student’s resume and interview them (optional). After interviewing the student, there is no obligation to host them. However, please note we cannot guarantee you will be matched with another student should you decline the first match.
Complete forms – If you approve the student, submit the required forms by August 15.
Support the student – Offer a meaningful real-world learning experience aligned with program goals (which we’ll share with you) and complete two evaluations for them per term.

While we do our best to ensure a match, please note that neither a match nor the number of students requested is guaranteed.

Timeline of Process

** Employers can submit a proposal any time of the year **

Timeline	Details
April 30	All requests in by this date are considered for the upcoming school year. Requests received after this date may not be considered.
May 1 – July 1	Requests are reviewed for suitability.
Early – mid July	Students are matched with employers.*
August 1	All students matched with employers.
Mid September	Placements begin (exact date TBD each year).

* Within 2 weeks after being matched, interviews with students are scheduled by employers. Students not selected in the first round get re-matched and sent to a second employer.

Interested in hosting a student for a paid internship instead?

What's the difference between a placement and an internship?

Internship	Placement
Beginning May, September, and January	Beginning September or January
Paid by the employer	Unpaid
Full-time	6-8 hours/week
8, 12, 16 months in duration	75 hours in duration (each 4-month term)
Open to all 3rd year (completed) students in Kinesiology & Health Studies programs	Open to all 4th year students in Kinesiology, Health Studies, Food and Nutrition, or Family Studies and Human Development programs

If you are interested in hosting a student for a paid internship, we invite you to post the position at . This is an internal job board exclusively for ��ҹ��վ students; there is no charge for employers to post opportunities. Please be sure to indicate Health Studies and Kinesiology students are the target audience as many students search for jobs by discipline.