Shumka Centre for Creative Entrepreneurship has received over $425,000 in new funding from TD and Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) to deliver 480 curricular and non-curricular work-integrated learning opportunities through its Art Apprenticeship Network and Pathways for Creative Futures programming. Together, these initiatives will help students build professional experience, strengthen their readiness for work across the arts and creative sectors, and apply their learning in real-world contexts.

Support from TD enables the return of the Art Apprenticeship Network after a one-year pause. Over 2026 – 27, the program will offer 20 paid part-time apprenticeships for students from Emily Carr University of Art + Design, provide professional experience through mentorship-based learning with established artists, curators, and cultural workers to foster equitable sector access for emerging artists.

Pathways for Creative Futures expands in partnership with the Business + Higher Education Roundtable, and with support from the Government of Canada to create approximately 460 curricular and non-curricular work-integrated learning opportunities between September 2025 and March 2026. Building on a previous phase that supported 134 students, the expanded program connects academic learning with professional practice, giving students structured opportunities to test ideas with real partners, audiences, and markets; gain paid professional experience and industry mentorship, all with the aim of building clearer employment and self-employment pathways.

Together, support from TD and BHER expands Shumka’s capacity to offer professional development across both curricular and non-curricular settings. By increasing access to mentorship, applied learning, and work-integrated experiences, this support helps more students build the experience, confidence, and professional pathways needed to move into work across the arts and creative industries.

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