Unlock growth with Level UP. Empower your business with student talent from Thompson Rivers University.
Are you a business owner in Canada? Get support from top student talent at Thompson Rivers University to tackle your business challenges — at no cost to you. Through the Government of Canada-funded Level UP program, you can turn your to-dos into short-term, paid student projects.
Post your project today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Chances are you've got questions. We have the answers.
What does a Level UP project need to include?
Projects should provide 80 hours of work per student participating. Each project must be completed within 2-8 weeks. For more information on how to create and submit a project for Level UP, you can consult this article.
How many projects can I submit and how many students can I take on?
Currently, there are no limitations to the amount of projects an employer can submit, and the number of students they can take on. Employers are required to provide a minimum of 5 hours of mentorship to each student. That being said, we ask that you are mindful of the amount of students you accept to work on your project.
What if my project requires more than 80 hours of work?
If this is the case, we suggest taking on more than 1 student on the same project. For example, if your project requires 160 hours of work, 2 students would be needed to complete your project. Additionally, you are able to separate 1 project into 2 phases. This will allow you to work with the same student on more than 1 project.
What are the Terms and Conditions for the program and what is the three strike system?
In an effort to create a good Level UP experience for all parties, we have updated our Terms and Conditions, which can be found here. Please take a moment to read through them. We've also created a three strike system. This means that if any Level UP user goes against the Terms and Conditions, they will receive a strike. You will be notified via e-mail when/if you've received a strike. If you receive three strikes, you will be removed from the program and will no longer be able to participate.
Reap the benefits of engaging with Thompson Rivers University talent today.
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Riipen is enabling transformative opportunities for post-secondary institutions to collaborate with companies on real-time, real-world challenges that are embedded directly into coursework driving enhanced learner and employability outcomes.
Cohort schedule
WordPress Developer Role
Employer: Light Up The World
Location: Remote
Our team is looking for a WordPress wizard who can help us drive more traffic and improve our website.
- This includes helping speed up our website
- Fixing the Plugins
- Updating our website;
- and helping team members with any questions
Student will:
- handling our plugins
- improve the performance of our website
- update our website (as required)
Computer science & IT | Data | Software Development
How the program works
Provide valuable experience. Grow your business. Get support.
Level UP connects you with eligible students from Thompson Rivers University who are ready to take on short-term paid projects that will help them develop real-world skills, while providing you with fresh perspectives and insights to move your business forward.
Project structure.
Get access to 60 project hours. Students will work an average of 10 hours per week and complete their tasks within 2 to 8 weeks, depending on the cohort's timeline. Each company can post 1 project per funding year and collaborate with up to 2 students on each project. Please note that placements are limited, and not all accepted projects are guaranteed to be matched with students.
Multidisciplinary projects. From supporting your product launch plan, data analysis, machine learning and AI, full-stack development, and competitive analysis, to digital marketing – students can assist with a wide range of tasks to help drive your business forward.
Payment. Students will be paid $1,400 via direct deposit upon completion of a successful project, within 4 weeks of project completion.
Level UP is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Innovative Work-Integrated Learning (I-WIL) Initiatives program
By participating in Level UP, you’ll not only help shape the future workforce, but you’ll also gain valuable support for your business at no cost to you.
We keep things on track—together.
Level UP runs in two cohorts so everyone stays on the same page. This helps projects move forward smoothly, with clear timelines and expectations from day one.
The cohort model also helps you plan more effectively—by knowing what to expect, you can better align your project timelines.
Think of it as a clear, shared roadmap. You’ll always know when to start, when to wrap up, and what to expect along the way.
Summer cohort:
Project matching: May 5 - June 11, 2025*
Students invited: June 16, 2025
Students apply to projects: June 16 -27
Project start date: July 7, 2025
Project end date: August 29, 2025
Fall cohort:
Applications open: September 2 - 30, 2025*
Students invited: October 6, 2025
Students apply to projects: October 6 - 17
Project start date: October 27, 2025
Project end date: December 29, 2025
*Application dates are approximate and subject to change without notice.
Eligibility
To participate in Level UP, you’ll need to meet some basic requirements.
Most Canadian employers are already eligible:
Registered Canadian business or non-profit organization.
A member of the House of Commons or Senate of Canada.
Part of an organization that engages in partisan political activities, and/or a federal, provincial, territorial or municipal government.
Part of a publicly funded post-secondary institution.
You’ll also need to provide the following to participate:
Employment and Social Development Canada, Level UP’s funder, requires identity verification for all participants. Make sure you have:
A piece of valid government-issued photo ID
Your company’s business number and address
Proof of your company’s address, usually in the form of a bill or invoice
Proof of your company’s registration at the federal or provincial level
Need more details on ID verification? Read this article for a full breakdown.
What other businesses that have partners with Level UP have to say:
“Level UP is great! I recommend it to everyone. It helps with work flow pressures and the caliber of students is great. It’s wonderful that there is funding for these students because otherwise, we would not have been able to hire and receive this support!”
Dallas Barnes, Founder, CEO Reya Health
“Working with students from the Level UP program through Riipen has been immensely valuable, bringing fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to our projects. These students have not only accelerated our operational efficiency, but also enhanced our strategic approaches, enabling us to amplify our impact and pursue new opportunities for community engagement.”
Melissa Yaw, Director, Operations, Aspire In
Need help?
It takes time to learn a new platform or program. That’s why we’ve created a variety of resources to support you.
Level UP Help Centre - your resource for all things Level UP from how to apply to a project to the rules of the program and how to use Riipen.
Send an email to luprivate@riipen.com to get in touch with the Level UP team for support on using the platform or with questions about your project.
Join our onboarding webinar - Thursday, May 22 at 3:00pm EST/ 1:00pm PST
This short session will walk you through the onboarding process, show you how to post a project, and share tips to connect with the right student talent to support your business.