Royal Bank of Canada CEO and Waterloo alumnus Dave McKay (BMath, '87) is a strong champion of the value of co-operative education for both employers and students.
McKay recently penned a Globe and Mail article that emphasizes the need for agile workers in today's economy and the benefits of work-integrated learning for university students.
“It’s not surprising that a Waterloo grad knows the value of co-op and hands-on experience,” says Rocco Fondacaro, acting executive director of Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE) at the University of Waterloo. “One reason alumni keep in touch with us is to hire their own co-op students once they’re in the workplace. It’s a continuous cycle of the talent pipeline – they know firsthand how valuable Waterloo co-op students are.”
Work-integrated education is one of the foundational pillars of the University. Today, Waterloo's co-op program has over 19,000 enrolled students who take part in work terms across a network of more than 6,300 employers.
Read McKay's article: Experiential learning, agile employees: Getting our students on the right path
