Blog
Keep up to date with Riipen's latest activities

BlogDiscover What's New: Riipen's Upcoming Version 2.0 Release
March 17, 2023
Read about some of the exciting features included in the April 2023 of Riipen 2.0, including improved navigation, customization, project management, matchmaking, private marketplace, portal pass functionality, and upgraded reporting functionality.
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BlogHiring an Intern for Your Small Business: Why an Internship Program Can Be a Win-Win
March 16, 2023
As a small business owner, you may be hesitant to bring on additional staff due to budget constraints. However, hiring an intern can be a cost-effective way to get the help you need while also providing valuable experience to a student or recent graduate. With the rise of virtual internships, it's now easier than ever to find and manage interns online. In this article, we'll explore the benefits of hiring a virtual intern, how to find the perfect learner for your business, and resources to help small businesses start their own internship programs.

BlogGet to Know Northern Michigan University Educator Corinne Bodeman: Q&A Session
March 16, 2023
Discover how Corinne Bodeman, a professor at Northern Michigan University, leverages the Riipen platform to provide her students with unique, hands-on work-based learning experiences.
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Case StudyWork-Based Learning in Action at University of California, Riverside Extension
March 9, 2023
Read about how educator Dr. Nidhi Shah and her students at University of California, Riverside Extension collaborated with employer Tony Nguyen on a Riipen project, creating new onboarding materials for his company Practice Health Check.

BlogMarketing a Small Business on a Budget: Creative Strategies and Tactics
March 1, 2023
As a small business owner, it can be challenging to market your brand effectively while operating on a tight budget. However, with the right strategies and tactics, you can promote your business and connect with potential customers without spending a fortune. Attracting customers doesn't necessarily have to involve costly advertising campaigns or huge investments in marketing. We understand the importance of making every penny count, which is why we've compiled a list of cost-effective marketing strategies and tactics that have been proven to work for small businesses. From leveraging social media to generating buzz with targeted campaigns, our tips will help you reach your target audience and increase your brand's visibility without putting a strain on your finances.To help you get started, we've compiled this list of creative strategies and tactics for promoting your small business on a small budget.
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Case StudyGrowing Work-Based Learning at University of California, Riverside Extension
February 28, 2023
University of California, Riverside Extension educator Dr. Nidhi Shah discusses the game-changing application of Riipen Work-Based Learning experiences in her classroom.
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BlogWhere to Find the Best Interns for Your Small Business
February 23, 2023
A successful small business depends on several things, including having the right employees. One of the most crucial aspects of operating and growing a small business is finding interns. Having an extra pair of hands on deck can help you take on projects you don't have the time or expertise for and make sure your business runs smoothly. There are several resources you can tap into to find and hire talented and qualified interns for your business. You might be wondering where to start.
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Case StudyGrowing Work-Based Learning at UND
February 17, 2023
Learn how the University of North Dakota has partnered with Riipen to scale impact and engagement with work-based learning initiative across the institution.

BlogSmall Business Help: 10 Resources for Entrepreneurs
February 15, 2023
As a small business owner or aspiring entrepreneur, it's crucial to stay informed and up-to-date with the latest industry insights and resources. To aid you in your journey, we've compiled a list of our top 10 picks for small business help, covering a range of topics from loans to legal incorporation.
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BlogThe Dos and Don'ts of Finding and Hiring an Intern for Your Business
February 8, 2023
Hiring interns can be a great way to get new talent into your business, as long as you do it right. The most important thing is to have a very clear idea of what you need from an intern and what their tasks will entail before hiring them. This can help prevent spending time on people who don't actually have the skills or abilities necessary for the job in question.
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Blog5 Tips for Starting a Small Business on a Low Budget
February 1, 2023
Starting a small business is exciting, but it can also be costly. It's easy to get so caught up in the anticipation of your new venture that you lose sight of financial reality. However, if you have a limited budget and are looking for ways to start up without breaking the bank, these tips will help you get your business off on the right foot.
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BlogThe Role of an Intern in a Small Business: How to Find the Right Fit
January 25, 2023
As a small business owner, have you ever wondered about the true potential of having an intern on your team? The role of an intern in a small business is often underestimated, but the truth is they are the key to providing small businesses with valuable help, unlocking hidden opportunities and untapped potential. In this article, we'll reveal the secrets to finding the right fit for both the employer and intern, and how this symbiotic relationship can propel your business to new heights. Keep reading to discover the true role of an intern in a small business and how to find the right fit.

BlogRealistic Small Business Growth Strategies in 2023–and beyond
January 18, 2023
In today’s business world, you need to focus on three primary things: growth, growth and more growth. However, many business owners don't have a realistic idea of what it takes to grow their companies. In this article you will learn seven strategies to achieve your business goals in 2023–and beyond, such as leveraging public relations, the use of technology, or support provided by learners, to name a few.
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NewsRiipen launches knowledge mobilization and change management project for employers to tackle key issues in the youth employment sector
December 12, 2022
Riipen, the world's largest work-integrated learning marketplace announces today a new partnership with several Canadian training providers, including Ontario Tech TALENT, in an effort to tackle key issues in the youth employment sector.
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BlogThe 2022 ASU-Riipen Survey Results are in!
December 8, 2022
Over 100 ASU courses have used Riipen to deliver more than 9,000 student experiences across 500+ real employer projects.
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BlogSmall Business Growth Hacks: Turning your business needs into stackable projects [4 Steps]
August 18, 2022
Whether you’re starting a new business or looking to expand an existing one, there will always be a constant cycle of identifying business challenges and opportunities, exploring solutions, and assigning resources.

NewsSmall and medium-sized businesses looking to address the talent gap can turn to Riipen’s Level UP Program for access to fully subsidized, remote paid internships
July 26, 2022
July 26, 2022 – Vancouver, BC – In light of the changing nature of work and challenges around sourcing talent, Riipen’s Level UP program has expanded to support 18,000 new fully subsidized, remote paid internships for small and mid-sized companies over the next two years.
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BlogRiipen Life - New Employee Onboarding, The Riipen Way
July 12, 2022
“We are here to enable every Riipeneer to do their best work.” If we had to sum up what Riipen’s People & Culture team is all about in one phrase, this would be it. It’s the thing we keep this top of mind when shaping the moments that matter in the Riipeneer journey. We strive to craft employee experiences where our team members feel a sense of belonging, support, and appreciation. Onboarding is no exception.
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Case StudyA Look Back on the Red River College Polytechnic Sprint to Innovate Hackathon
July 4, 2022
More than 100 postsecondary students from schools across Manitoba took part in the Sprint to Innovate: The Innovation Challenge hackathon presented by the City of Winnipeg and hosted by Riipen partner Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech). Over the span of 3 days, students from varied disciplines such as technology, business, entrepreneurship, worked in teams of 4 to 6, to tackle a business challenge provided by industry partners. Under the guidance of their mentors and in collaboration with their employer-partner, the student teams worked together on a solution to the proposed challenge, including developing a prototype which they presented to judges on the final day.
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BlogThe Journey to 100 Projects and Beyond
June 29, 2022
Sidney Shapiro, Professor and Coordinator of the Business and Crime Analytics programs at Cambrian College, and Jason Corcoran, Instructor and Coordinator of the graduate certificate program in Health Analytics at Cambrian College, have been working collaboratively to find new ways to connect employers with students and create new opportunities for them. Following the onboarding of the Riipen platform at Cambrian College, in the summer of 2020, Sidney and Jason quickly took the platform by storm to unearth projects for their students for the upcoming fall semester. We recently sat down with them to know more about their impressive journey to 100 projects and hear their thoughts on the value that the Riipen platform provides them.

Case StudyExpanding the Scope of Work-Integrated Learning with Accelerate Her Future
June 21, 2022
Accelerate Her Future (AHF) is a career accelerator providing tailored programs for self-identifying Black, Indigenous and racialized women to launch their careers in business and STEM while building networks of solidarity and action. Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi, Founder and President of AHF, began working with Riipen in the Summer of 2021, submitting a number of different projects to the Level UP remote internship program. She was able to partner with five students who worked on projects focusing on digital marketing, research and analysis, establishing an ambassador program and onboarding.
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BlogHow one educator transformed her teaching during the pandemic using Riipen
June 15, 2022
The pandemic has caused many educators to rethink their teaching methods due to the constraints imposed. The transition from in-person to virtual teaching is just one of the changes that many educators have had to make. Others have been forced to transform their student assignments and internship programs because of the struggle to find employers ready to work with and mentor their students. Marie-Maxime Bastien, a Business Administration educator at Collège André-Grasset, is one such instructor who had to adapt her teaching methodology during the height of the pandemic. Marie-Maxime took advantage of the Riipen platform to reshape one of her courses with great success.
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BlogRiipen Life - Our Approach to Community Giving
June 8, 2022
Riipen has experienced incredible growth over the last few years, and that has presented us with the opportunity to reimagine what we wanted community giving at Riipen to look like. Up until 2021 we had made several charitable donations to causes we cared about, but we knew we could contribute more meaningfully with a structured program and team in place.
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NewsRiipen’s Level UP Remote Internship Program Enters Impact-Driven Second Phase to Continue Making Work-Integrated Learning Accessible for Students and Employers Beyond the Pandemic
May 26, 2022
A new round of Federal Government funding for the Level UP program will support 18,000 new fully-subsidized remote paid internships for Canadian post-secondary learners and employers over the next two years.
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BlogRiipen Life - Forming our DE&I Council
May 5, 2022
In 2021, after building a strong foundation for many of our people processes, we began to explore how we could approach Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at Riipen more intentionally and company-wide.