Nearly seven out of ten students at the University of Waterloo are enrolled in a co-operative education program. That ratio is expected to increase with the addition of Honours Arts Co-op in September 2020. Since beginning with just 74 students in 1957, the co-op program has grown to draw in thousands of students every year.
Co-op offers students the opportunity to gain up to two years of relevant work experience through alternating school and work terms on a four-month basis. “Co-op appeals to students because of the exposure to industry and diversity of opportunities, the ability to customize their degree through work experiences, the chance to travel for work, and the discovery and application of their unique strengths, abilities, and interests,” explained Grebel Alumna Dana Evans Laity (BA 2004), Manager of Marketing Outreach for Co-operative & Experiential Education at UWaterloo.
Grebel students are no strangers to co-op. The Grebel Student Council includes a Co-op Representative. The student in this position plans résumé clinics, organizes interview skills workshops, and offers encouragement and support. Grebel students have worked across the world and close to home, from Cambodia to Amsterdam to right here at Grebel for their co-op terms. With the diversity of workplaces comes a variety of jobs and learning experiences.
Co-op encourages the curation of skills that cannot easily be learned in a classroom. Beyond practicing interview skills and learning how to navigate workplaces, students have the opportunity to learn job-specific skills. “Thanks to my co-op jobs, I can implement behavioural interventions, plan and run staff meetings and trainings, critique Master’s and PhD level university papers, and administer medication–among so many other things!” explained Zoe Andres, a fourth-year Psychology student currently completing a co-op placement at L’Arche in Edmonton. “For someone like me who is a hands-on learner, being able to put what I learn in lectures into practice is so helpful for solidifying what I know.”
“I like the co-op program because you get a chance to not only get diverse work experience, but you get a chance to travel!” noted Connor Huxman, a fourth-year Biomedical Engineering student. “I’ve strategically gone far away for my co-ops, including Amsterdam, Kansas City, Edmonton, and Toronto.” Dana added that last year, the co-op program supported 2,900 international co-op work terms in more than 60 countries around the world!
Employers also benefit from the co-op program. “‘Try before you buy’ could be a motto for both students and employers,” noted Grebel Alumnus Ed Papazian (BASC 1969), former Field Coordinator and Team Manager for the Co-operative Education Program in Ottawa. “University students have little idea about what career they want to pursue. Employers spend a lot of time and money hiring the right people. They need a low-risk opportunity to see what a potential employee can do before making a big investment.”
Waterloo has more than 7000 active employers engaged in the co-op program, and that number will need to increase when co-op becomes available to all Arts students next year. “Arts students bring valued skills like creative and critical thinking, quality communications skills, and a breadth of interest in learning,” said Dana. “We can’t wait to see which new employers come forward to hire our newest core of talent from the Faculty of Arts. I’d be proud to see Grebel Alumni taking advantage of this opportunity. I may be biased, but Grebel alumni are some of the best people I know, working in some pretty meaningful places. I can see life-changing opportunities for students written all over that equation!”
Through co-op, students can explore career paths and work environments, earn money to pay for their schooling, and create connections with employers. Students who graduate from co-op at Waterloo are employed sooner and at a higher rate than the Ontario graduate average, and are more likely to be employed in their field of study. “Co-op is a difference maker,” Dana remarked. “The payoff is undeniable.”
Read more about Zoe, Connor, Ed, and Dana’s experiences with co-op:
Zoe Andres
During my co-op terms I’ve had the opportunity to learn and practice behavioural interventions. As a psych student, we talk about what it takes to make an intervention successful, but it in no way prepares you for real situations, because real situations are so complex.
Connor Huxman
My favourite co-op job has been working for a spinal implants company in Kansas City, Kansas.
Ed Papazian
When I was an undergrad student at Waterloo, my last two work terms were with the UWaterloo Engineering Computer department, as it was known then. It had just installed a PDP 10 (or was it a 9?) mainframe. What an exciting job to sit at the console and program that mini-computer.
Dana Evans Laity
Co-op wasn’t offered when I was an Honours Arts student. It’s one of the reasons I’m so excited to see the launch of the Honours Arts Co-op program in September 2020!
