Recruit skilled co-op/intern talent for the manufacturing industry

Male co-op student assembling a tool on the left and employer and co-op student in a pasta making factory

We produce future-ready talent.

The manufacturing industry needs talent to drive growth. From introducing new technologies to supporting strategic sustainable goals and innovating in the lab, co-op students can provide the support you need.

Students are an affordable way to gain a competitive advantage with fresh perspectives. As one of Canada's largest employment sectors, the manufacturing industry can rely on students to help fill the roles of tomorrow. Start by hiring a student today and develop talent for the long term.

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Why hire Waterloo?

Roles co-op students can fill

Tap into valuable skills of Waterloo co-op students in areas such as:

Advanced manufacturing

Sample jobs

Sample job responsibilities

3D computer-aided design (CAD) modeler

Generate CAD models of buildings and machinery from a set of point clouds generated by a 3D laser scanner.

Internet of Things (IoT) implementation specialist

Contribute to the knowledge base by documenting installation and calibration activities in detail.

Production associate

Contribute to the development and improvement of production and manufacturing processes while ensuring compliance with ISO standards.

Robotics and automation assistant

Design and implement cloud-based customer-facing SaaS software for processing customer data for manufacturing.

Robotics engineering intern

Develop and deploy innovative solutions to manufacturing challenges using smart designs, automation and machine vision.

Business and administration support services

Sample jobs

Sample job responsibilities

Customer service representative

Provide quality customer service, including interacting with customers, answering customer enquiries and effectively handling customer complaints.

Digital marketer

Brainstorm and implement new and creative growth strategies for the company.

Quality assurance intern

Ensure quality standards for a given product have been identified and met from a customer's perspective.

Sustainability co-ordinator

Perform energy and waste audits, making improvement suggestions to improve environmental footprint.

Technical writer

Create clear and concise technical documentation to effectively communicate complex information to diverse audiences.

Process and product design

Sample jobs 

Sample job responsibilities

Automation designer

Prepare detailed drawings and bills of materials for equipment, sub-assemblies and products.

Mechanical design engineering intern

Perform simulations, analyses and testing to verify the design and optimize product performance.

Process engineer

Discover, investigate and integrate new technologies into the existing processing area.

Project engineer

Manage projects from design to execution in the areas of plant safety, process control, equipment changes and other continuous improvement projects.

UX/UI designer

Create mock-ups and build proof of concepts to develop products.

Research and analysis

Sample jobs

Sample job responsibilities

Data analyst

Report and analyze mobile, web and social data through user path and engagement activity.

Digital analyst

Prepare, analyze and interpret data using statistical techniques to produce reports and PowerBI dashboards.

Financial analyst

Analyze historical sales data to create recommendations and projections.

Supply chain analyst

Work with vendors to establish production schedules that align with company requirements and production goals.

Software development

Sample jobs

Sample job responsibilities

Augmented reality (AR) developer

Develop custom backend services to extract data from platforms and sensors to be utilized in the AR environment.

Firmware developer

Translate open-ended user requirements into clear and specific product functional components.

Fullstack developer

Assist in designing and implementing fullstack features end-to-end using Javascript and TypeScript.

Software developer

Maintain and improve developed software by making enhancements based on user's experience or as required.

Test automation intern

Support the development of automation frameworks and tools for testing products.

Fund your next hire

Hiring a co-op student through the subsidies and grants below can be an affordable way of building a sustainable talent strategy!

Student Work Placement Program (SWPP)

Through SWPP, Canadian organizations that offer full-time employment opportunities for full-time Canadian post-secondary students can receive wage subsidies.

Funding will cover up to 50 per cent in wage subsidies (to a max. of $5,000) per co-op student hired for each 12–16-week work term. Students hired from under-represented groups may be eligible to have up to 70 per cent of their wages subsidized. Eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis at the end of each work term.

Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit  

Large corporations can claim 25 per cent of expenditures, up to $3,000 per work placement. Small businesses can claim 30 per cent, up to $3,000. Each work placement must be at least 10 weeks and up to 4 months. This tax credit is available for each eligible work placement. Employers may have multiple work placements at the same time and throughout the year.

The tax credit is per eligible work placement and there is no cap. If an organization decides to hire for an eight-month work term, or two students for four-month work terms, both would be considered as two work placements and would be eligible for a total tax credit of up to $6,000.

Nicole Guenther

Find the right talent today.

Connect with Nicole! 🚀

Nicole is an industry strategist with the University of Waterloo’s Co-operative Education department. She can help guide your recruitment strategy and answer questions about recruiting top co-op talent.

Email: nicole.guenther@uwaterloo.ca

Phone: 226-921-1682

Industry-leading companies hire co-op students