Learn about our new Riipen Labs program, a skills-building opportunity for all, platform updates, news, and inspiring stories.

Build real, work-ready skills through short, paid projects.

Riipen Labs offers students a fast, accessible way to gain hands-on professional experience through guided, real-world projects with employers. In just 30 hours, participants build workplace skills, earn a $600 stipend, and strengthen their resume.

Riipen Labs is working on real employer projects.

Riipen Labs gives students the opportunity to apply their skills to projects created by employers. Each Lab is a structured, 30-hour experience in which students contribute to meaningful work, build professional skills, and gain applied experience aligned with real-world workplace expectations.

Participants receive a $600 stipend upon successful completion, helping reduce barriers while gaining practical, resume-ready experience.

Limited spots available.

Riipen Labs runs in small cohorts with limited capacity. Applying early helps students secure a spot and begin building applied experience through short, employer-driven projects.

A practical first step toward gaining applied experience and building work-ready skills.

Shaping futures: Work-based learning news & insights.

Exploring the latest stories, trends, and ideas

shaping the future of experiential learning.

National University’s Center for Business Innovation, Entrepreneurialism, and Management (CBEM) has launched a new virtual micro-internship program designed to accelerate entrepreneurial skill development. Powered by Riipen, the 40-hour, project-based program enables learners to work remotely on real business challenges while building practical experience in areas such as ideation, market strategy, and customer discovery. The initiative expands access to flexible, applied learning opportunities for nontraditional, working, and military-connected learners.

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As higher education faces rising costs, shifting student demographics, AI disruption, and widening skills gaps, institutions are rethinking how they prepare learners for the workforce. This article explores five key trends shaping the sector in 2025, including expanded experiential learning, flexible delivery models, a stronger focus on durable skills, deeper industry collaboration, and the use of trusted partners to scale work-integrated learning. Together, these strategies highlight how colleges and universities are adapting to deliver more relevant, applied, and outcomes-driven education.

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Explore Riipen’s State of The Employer 2025 report.

Discover how employers work with students, what motivates them to give back, and the hiring impact of project-based learning.

Journeys in motion.

Stories from across the ecosystem, shaped by real-world

experience and applied learning.

The University of Niagara Falls Canada partnered with Riipen to streamline work-integrated learning and better coordinate employer engagement across programs. The approach improved efficiency, expanded access to real-world projects, and strengthened alignment between academic delivery and workforce needs.

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Flidais, a technology company focused on AI-powered job search and career navigation, partnered with Riipen’s FuturePath program to engage student talent on real product development work. Through this collaboration, students contributed to live AI-driven initiatives while gaining applied experience, and Flidais advanced its platform with practical insights and hands-on support.

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National University embedded an employer-connected agile software development project into a capstone course through Riipen, allowing students to work on live requirements in a production environment. The approach led to stronger capstone outcomes, deeper student engagement, and real value delivered to an industry partner.

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Build in-demand tech skills

today at no cost.

IBM SkillsBuild offers free online courses in AI, data science, web development, project management, and other high-demand digital fields, open to anyone ready to start learning.

Self-paced courses to support skill development in today’s digital economy.

Enhancing your experience:
Platform updates.

Discover some of our latest improvements and enhancements designed to help you get the most out of Riipen.

Keep important resources visible and accessible.

Teams can now pin key resources so important materials stay front and center across team pages, projects, and conversations. This makes it easier for learners to find what they need and for educators to guide teams effectively.

Improved visibility into learner talent.

The Company > Talent tab now displays learners as cards, prioritized by profile completeness and feedback. This makes it easier for employers to identify top performers and engage talent with confidence.

Clearer workflows and fewer friction points.

Several updates improve clarity and reduce unnecessary steps across the platform, including clearer task actions, improved survey guidance, and more intuitive portal and messaging behaviors. These changes help learners, educators, and employers move through experiences more smoothly.

318K+

work-based learning experiences

53K+

vetted network of employers

760+

 postsecondary institutions

20.9M+

hours of applied learning