2023 CEE Employer Impact Award recipients

Congratulations to our Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE) Employer Impact Award recipients and honourable mentions! Get to know the award recipients and learn about their impactful work. 


ATS Corporation, recipient of the 2023 Impact in Innovation award

Impact in Innovation: ATS Corporation

ATS Corporation (ATS) offers a synergy of experience, automation technology and factory automation solutions for the world’s leading manufacturers.

Recipient of the 2023 Impact in Innovation award, ATS is committed to fostering innovation in co-op students.

ATS develops unique and innovative manufacturing solutions that have meaningful impact for its customers around the world. The company entrusts students to apply their engineering and critical thinking skills effectively on automation projects. ATS gives students the opportunity to take on project coordination work while developing their technical skills.

NTNU, recipient of the 2023 CEE Employer Impact Award for Impact in International Excellence

Impact in International Excellence: Norwegian University of Science and Technology

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) offers a variety of programs of professional study including science and technology.

Recipient of the 2023 CEE Employer Impact Award for Impact in International Excellence, NTNU works with students to advance AI innovation and research through a partnership with Waterloo.

NTNU emphasizes the social and cultural importance of the work term for students coming to work abroad by organizing social activities and opportunities. Students work on coding, reviewing articles and training large language models (LLMs) for AI research projects at the University and with industry partners.

University Health Network, recipient of the 2023 Impact in Research award

Impact in Research: University Health Network

University Health Network (UHN) is a health care and medical research organization in Toronto, Ontario.

Recipient of the 2023 Impact in Research award, UHN involves students in their pursuit of pancreatic cancer research.

Waterloo co-op students working at the Notta lab at UHN play a critical role in researching pancreatic cancer. As research laboratory assistants, students study and analyze tumour cells for a research repository.

OTPP, recipient of the 2023 Impact in Sustainability award

Impact in Sustainability: Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) administers defined benefit pensions and portfolio investments for teachers in Ontario.

Recipient of the 2023 Impact in Sustainability award, OTPP involves students in pursuing its long-term plans to help reach net zero emissions by 2050.

Students at OTPP develop key skills through its Career FUNDamentals Program and are integrated into the company’s sustainability planning and strategy. Students are closely involved in projects including conducting due diligence processes and monitoring risks.

Region of Waterloo Waste Management division, recipient of the 2023 Impact on Student Experience award

Impact on Student Experience: Region of Waterloo Waste Management

The Region of Waterloo Waste Management division services more than 165,000 properties to provide curbside collection, processing, diversion and disposal of waste.

Recipient of the 2023 Impact on Student Experience award, the Region provides purposeful opportunities for students to grow personally and professionally.

Waterloo co-op students at the Region work on dynamic projects that serve both the environment and the larger community. They help with waste collection and diversion monitoring and run educational outreach programs in the community.

Canadian Tire, recipient of the 2023 Impact in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) award

Impact in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Canadian Tire

Canadian Tire Corporation provides Canadians with innovative products and services. The group of companies includes retail and financial segments.

Recipient of the 2023 Impact in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), Canadian Tire has shifted its company culture to make its workplace and brand more inclusive and diverse.

Waterloo co-op students working at Canadian Tire contribute to the company's EDI strategy. Co-op students work in both corporate office and retail office roles including compliance analyst, operations support and digital products.


Honourable Mentions

Impact in Innovation

Maplesoft logo

Impact in International Excellence

Grand River Hospital logo

Impact in Research

Deep Breathe Inc. logo

Impact in Sustainability

RDH Building Inc. logo

Impact on Student Experience

Dayforce logo

Impact in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The Ripple Effect Education logo

Watch the recording

Remote video URL

A message of congratulations from the Associate Provost

Norah McRae

We are grateful to our Employer Impact Award recipients for providing our students with opportunities to work on real-world challenges. Our employers benefit from our students’ skills while helping those students prepare for the future of work.

NORAH MCRAE,  ASSOCIATE PROVOST, CEE