Riipen Labs FAQs

What is Riipen Labs?

Riipen developed Riipen Labs to bridge the gap between gaining work experience and building a safe and controlled environment to begin improving on your work ready skills. Funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Innovative Work-Integrated Learning Initiative, Riipen Labs empowers students through simulation experiential learning projects.

Students gain resume-building and work-ready experience while developing critical durable skills like communication and project management. The simulations are paid, and students earn $300 for each project completed, paid directly through Riipen.

What are the conditions required for participation in the program?

The participation agreement can be found here, in our help centre!

How do I join Riipen Labs?

Here are some helpful guides to get started with Riipen Labs for students!

Am I eligible to participate in Riipen Labs?

Check your eligibility status on our landing pages for students.

Why do I need to verify my identity?

Riipen Labs is funded in part by the Government of Canada's Innovative Work-Integrated Learning (I-WIL) Initiatives program. Since it is a government-funded program, we need to adhere to strict guidelines to ensure the eligibility for payment as per our funding agreement. Learn more about it here.

Can students work on teams?

Students will be assigned teams when they are assigned to their projects. Students are expected to submit their own deliverables to showcase their individual contribution, but all projects will take place in teams in order to work on team-building skills and submit a comprehensive project within the required timeframe.

What is a cohort?

A cohort refers to a group of students who participate in a specific term of the Riipen Labs program. Learn more in our Cohort Breakdown.

Is Riipen Labs available in French?

Not at this time! Though we hope to have French projects available soon, we are still in the pilot phases of this program, which will all take place in English.

What happens after I complete my Riipen Labs project?

Once your Riipen Lab project ends, we hope that you will take that experience and move on to Level UP and FuturePath projects to apply your newly acquired skills!

How do I join Riipen Labs?

Follow the help articles below with outlined steps:

How many hours are students expected to put into their projects?

Students are expected to dedicate about 7 hours per week to their projects. Students should work together with their teammates to ensure that they are meeting regularly and can complete the projects in a timely manner.

How many projects can I complete?

Students can complete 1 project per cohort. See our Cohort Breakdown for cohort dates.

Can I participate in multiple cohorts?

Yes, but students can only participate in one cohort at a time. You must submit an application to each cohort, and be invited to join.

How do students get matched to projects?

Students will be randomly assigned to groups, but all Riipen Lab projects are variations of the same project for the entire cohort, so there is not any selection piece that a student is missing from being assigned.

How can I keep my spot in Riipen Labs?

Students must stay active in the Riipen Labs program to retain their spot. If you are inactive and miss action deadlines, you will be removed from the program. Make sure to review and adhere to the deadlines to maintain your enrollment.

Can AI be used for projects?

Yes, AI can be a useful tool, though you must ensure you are not overly dependent on it. All projects must encompass 15 hours of work, and you must upload deliverables and working documents to demonstrate completion, even when AI is employed. While students are allowed to use AI for assistance, they must demonstrate their effort and work, showing that AI was used only as a tool to aid them, not to complete the entire project.