News

An Indian student, Pallavi Thapar, says she chose the University of Waterloo because of its elite co-op program, which provided paid work terms and real-world experience while she earned her degree. Through her co-op placements in psychology and marketing, she built a professional network, refined her career goals and gained confidence navigating Canada’s highly competitive job market. Her journey reflects the importance of strategic planning, adaptability and work-integrated learning for international students seeking long-term success.

University of Waterloo Associate Professor of Economics Joel Blit warns that AI may be displacing entry-level programming jobs, making it harder for new computer science grads to land their first role. He says the skills students build before graduation, particularly through co-op work terms are now more important than ever. Despite the tough market, Waterloo data shows that 96% of its CS students still find a job within six months—something Blit attributes largely to the strength of the university’s co-op program.

The University of Waterloo has teamed up with Google to establish a Google Chair in the Future of Work and Learning, backed by a $1 million investment, supporting new research and hands-on AI prototyping labs. The partnership cites Waterloo’s largest-in-Canada co-operative education program, which has long nurtured students to bring real-world experience into innovation and research, as a key reason Google selected the university. Through this collaboration, students will co-create AI-based learning technologies and directly engage in shaping how people interact with AI in future workplaces.

University of Waterloo student Henriëtta van Niekerk has created Skrimp.AI, a free AI-powered tool that helps families reduce their grocery bills by comparing local flyers, spotting the best deals and suggesting budget-friendly meal plans. Inspired by her own family’s experiences with food price inflation, Henriëtta combined skills gained through Waterloo’s co-op program to design something practical and impactful. Her work shows how students can leverage experiential learning to solve everyday challenges with innovation.

Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS), a global leader in customer experience and digital services, has chosen Waterloo for its new AI and data innovation centre—bringing 150 new jobs to the region. The company highlighted the area’s deep talent pool, including the University of Waterloo’s renowned co-op program, as a key factor in its decision. By tapping into Waterloo’s pipeline of skilled, work-ready students, HGS will strengthen its operations while giving students opportunities to apply their skills in AI, data analytics and customer experience on a global stage.

Richard Andrew “Dick” Pullin passed away on July 16, 2025, after more than three decades of building Waterloo’s co-operative education into a global leader. He joined the co-op department in 1970 as the first Science-stream co-ordinator, crafted job-matching processes, forged employer partnerships and later led national associations while editing the Journal of Co-operative Education. Pullin’s legacy lives on in the structures he built and the generations of students and educators he inspired.

In a Times of India video, Pallavi Thapar, an international student from India, shares how the University of Waterloo helped her overcome homesickness and grow into a confident, independent learner. At 4:23 of the video, she highlights the co-op program and the Centre for Career Development (CCD) as key supports in exploring career options and gaining real-world experience.

The Sudbury Star highlights Jonathan Gbedemah, a graduate of the University of Waterloo’s Doctor of Pharmacy Co-operative Education Program, who credits his co-op clinical rotations in Sudbury for inspiring his long-term commitment to northern Ontario. After gaining hands-on experience across twenty-three pharmacies, he opened Jonathan’s Kingsway Pharmacy in Sudbury and was recently named Young Entrepreneur of the Year. His journey reflects how Waterloo’s co-op education fosters career readiness, community impact, and entrepreneurial success.

By: Micaela Kelly (she/her) 

Work-integrated learning (WIL) helps students to connect classroom learning with real-world experiences where they solve practical problems and learn critical job skills.

By: Christie Zeb (she/her)

Change makers, Rewa and Bruce embarked on a transformative co-op experience in Thailand, supporting migrant teachers and refugee children.