Each Lab is a structured, 30-hour experience where students contribute to real business projects, build professional skills, and gain experience aligned with workplace expectations.
Participants receive a $600 stipend upon completion, helping reduce barriers while building practical, resume-ready experience.
New Riipen Labs cohort
coming June 2026!
Applications open on April 6, 2026. Don't miss the opportunity to be among the first to apply and secure your spot in this limited-capacity cohort.
A practical first step toward gaining applied experience and building work-ready skills.
Riipen has been recognized in The RISE 40, a curated list of organizations supporting institutions across recruitment, retention, and employment outcomes. The report highlights solutions that enable institutions to meet rising expectations around career readiness and workforce alignment. For Riipen, this recognition reflects the growing demand for a scalable, employer-connected learning infrastructure that supports student success across the full academic journey.
Students are increasingly seeking career-connected learning opportunities, according to a recent Inside Higher Ed survey, with a focus on building practical skills, expanding professional networks, and preparing for today’s job market. While experiential learning is widely recognized as valuable, many institutions continue to face challenges in scaling these opportunities across programs. This article explores what students are asking for and how institutions can expand access to real-world experiences that support career readiness.
Scaling career-connected learning remains one of the most pressing challenges facing institutions today, with many still working to deliver on this priority without the infrastructure to support it. In a recent episode of Harvard Business School’s Project on Managing the Future of Work podcast, Dana Stephenson joins William Kerr to explore what it takes to move beyond scattered initiatives and build a more scalable approach. The conversation highlights how embedding authentic, career-connected experiences into the academic journey can strengthen the connection between education and the workforce.
Stories from across the ecosystem, shaped by real-world
experience and applied learning.
Dr. Ruhai Wu, Associate Professor of Marketing at McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business, integrates industry collaboration into his courses to deliver career-connected learning. Through real-world projects, students apply their skills, build confidence, and gain practical experience. Using Riipen, he expands access to these opportunities, making experiential learning more scalable and accessible.
Jameel David, Owner of Elite Window Cleaning, shares how his first experience working with a Riipen student quickly exceeded expectations. He highlights the student’s technical skills, initiative, and ability to introduce new tools that added immediate value to his business. For entrepreneurs looking to move faster and stay current, he points to Riipen as an accessible way to tap into emerging talent at no cost.
Discover some of our latest improvements and enhancements designed to help you get the most out of Riipen.
A grace period for automatic team incompletion.
Newly activated teams now have a three-day window before incompletion rules apply. This gives learners time to get started and ensures teams are not flagged before meaningful progress begins.
Faster access to projects for learners.
A new “View projects” button on the learner experience page allows quick access to available projects. This helps learners get started faster and reduces the need to scroll through the page.
Automatic conversation sync for reactivated teams.
When teams are reactivated, members are automatically re-added to relevant conversations. This keeps communication aligned and ensures teams stay connected without manual updates.
318K+
work-based learning experiences
53K+
vetted network of employers
760+
postsecondary institutions
20.9M+
hours of applied learning
Riipen, 1200-555 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 4N4, Canada, 1-833-374-4736
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