Recruit skilled student talent for environment, social and governance roles

Environment and science Waterloo co-op students working in a laboratory and planting trees.

Your sustainability talent is here.

Being sustainable is a must for a greener and more equitable future. Advancing sustainability goals through the strategic framework of environmental, social and governance (ESG) takes the right talent. Co-op students can help develop solutions for your organization.

In areas such as reducing carbon emissions, energy consumption and developing renewable resources, co-op students can contribute to sustainable financial reporting, climate adaptation policies and community-building initiatives.

Help your organization contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) with emerging talent. Hire adaptable, knowledgeable and innovative Waterloo co-op students.

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Why hire Waterloo?

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#1 in Canada for environmental science and engineering 

Academic Ranking of World Universities 2023
Illustration of the global economy and GDP
Top 10 in the world for research on ending poverty and hunger 

Times Higher Education’s University Impact Ranking 2023
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Top 50 in the world for sustainable cities and communities 

Times Higher Education’s University Impact Ranking 2023

Roles co-op students can fill

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

Cleantech and Circular Economy

Sample jobs Sample job responsibilities
Smart city technology intern Assists in deployment of smart sensors and digital infrastructure.
Junior planning officer Assists with developing communications materials for natural heritage systems and stewardship programs.
Research associate Researches and analyzes topics related to transformative technologies.
Green building intern Conducts energy audits and assists team in ensuring the building adheres to requirements.
Data analyst Designs and implements reporting dashboards that track key metrics and provide actionable insights.
Materials scientist Develops eco-friendly packaging materials derived from renewable sources.
Solutions engineering student Assists with the creation of proof-of-concept models.

Community Engagement & Social Impact
Sample jobs Sample job responsibilities
Community engagement assistant Surveys homeowners on their motivations, attitudes and barriers to implementing green solutions.
Outdoor environmental education instructor Leads orienteering, forest studies and survival games for visiting students.
Summer inclusion co-ordinator Assists with the co-ordination of programming for children with physical, developmental and emotional disabilities.
Marketing co-ordinator Develops an online sustainability outreach strategy.
Events co-ordinator Supports planning and execution of events to educate local businesses on environmental sustainability.

Environmental protection

Sample jobs Sample job responsibilities
Waste management technician Performs waste audits at assigned facilities.
Sustainability analyst Analyzes performance metrics, water consumption and waste diversion.
Environmental science student Assists with collection, manipulation, analysis and interpretation of environmental data.
Safety research advisor Assists with collection, analysis and interpretation of data and preparing statistical reports.
Conservationists Completes field tasks, including groundwater and surface water sampling, flow measurement and mapping of drainage patterns.
Biophysical co-op student Monitors wildlife at solar energy sites.
Environmental enforcement analyst Conducts experiments for water treatment studies.

Governance & Compliance
Sample jobs Sample job responsibilities
Sustainability co-ordinator Collects and enters data to report on environmental metrics.
Junior policy analyst Produces price forecasts for electricity markets.
Public relations intern Co-ordinates and delivers stakeholder engagement activities.
Data scientist Manipulates and visualizes data to inform decision making.
Compliance assistant Assists with ensuring compliance with applicable Environmental Compliance Approvals (ECA).

Green energy

Sample jobs Sample job responsibilities
Chemical engineering intern Designs and operates of fuel cell and battery power systems.
Advanced planning intern Conducts research on the electricity market and emerging smart grid technologies.
Business analyst Conducts regulatory research and market scans in the energy sector.
Electrical engineering assistant Supports development and testing of next-generation energy storage technology.
Infrastructure intern Works with technical leads to support testing and operations at pilot sites.
Quality assurance specialist Conducts testing and evaluation of green energy products (such as solar panels).
Systems design assistant Conducts modelling to assess system performance to support maximizing energy production and efficiency.
Project co-ordinator Develops reports and presentations to communicate project updates to various stakeholders.

Resource management

Sample jobs Sample job responsibilities
Ecological monitoring technician Services remote wildlife cameras and classifies images.
Landfill operations assistant Assists in the compilation of landfill operation statistical reports, waste tonnages and diversion rates.
Species at risk research assistant Conducts field work in forested lands and wetlands according to established protocols.
Habitat data officer  Supports field exploration programs, including mapping, sampling and logistical support.
Sport fish technician Collects and log samples.
Forest technician  Assists with geological activities at both the deposit and regional scale.
Geological assistant Conducts experiments for water treatment studies.
Metallurgical engineering intern Performs metallurgical sample preparation such as sectioning, grinding, polishing and etching.

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.

Alyssa Kuron

Find the right talent today.

Connect with Alyssa! 🚀

Alyssa 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: alyssa.kuron@uwaterloo.ca

Phone: 226-972-3821

Industry-leading companies hire co-op students

Employer Impact Award diamond shaped glass trophy and the Liberty Utilities logo
Thursday, October 5, 2023

Co-op students help drive sustainable future at Liberty Utilities

By Namish Modi (he/him)

Clean energy organization utilizes students to help achieve environment, social and governance (ESG) targets.