The BETS program places two University of Waterloo junior co-op students with your company for a 14-week project-based placement. This program, intended for early-stage companies that are unable to hire full-time 16-week co-ops, provides access to students who can help you achieve short term business objectives through a 14-week placement. Because BETS are in teams of two people, onboarding and learning are accelerated, allowing the students to dive into new projects quickly.
Potential placement tasks include:
- Assisting with web or mobile app development
- Improving and iterating an existing user interface
- Market research, data analysis/reporting and customer discovery
- Marketing strategy and content creation
- Prototype development and testing (breadboarding, working with hardware, 3D printing)
- General accounting and office administrative work
- Support for all areas of accounting, financial, and performance management
- Office administrative work and sales support activities
Eligibility
- Placements can be in-person, virtual or hybrid.
- Companies located in Canada are invited to apply.
The application and interview process
- Interested companies are asked to complete the employer application using this link: https://forms.gle/enXuFuAH11hv1St47
- Applications will be reviewed by the BETS Coordinator; selected companies will be contacted for a short interview.
- A maximum of 30 companies will be selected; completion of an application and interview does not guarantee a student placement with your company. The process is competitive, and we are looking for placements that will provide students with the greatest learning experience and positive impact on your business objectives during that time.
- Students are matched with successful placement companies on the basis of project requirements and student skillset.
Costs to partner companies
Companies are asked to pay a $3,000 fee per team (2 students) for a 14-week placement.
Former students giving back as BETS employers
Vena Medical, grew out of a Capstone Design project by Michael Phillips and Phillip Cooper when they were classmates in the mechanical engineering program. Today, they are a successful company operating out of Kitchener, Ontario.
Their device, a tiny camera provides physicians with a real-time, full colour view of inside the brain’s blood vessels assisting in the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients.
The Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business is grateful to The Esch Foundation for its generous support of the BETS program.