Hire Waterloo interns/co-op students for your small business, startup or scaleup

Collage of photos of students and employers working at a computer, talking and walking in the halls and working on a presentation.

The future of work is changing. The gig economy, automation and the increase in remote work are just a few of the reasons why it’s a critical time for small businesses and startups to invest in the right kind of talent to help their operations succeed now and in the future.

At the University of Waterloo, we help businesses of every size recognize and leverage the value that co-op students can bring to their workplace: extra hands to advance a project, providing fresh perspectives and energy, or driving advancement by applying digital skills and new technology.

With Waterloo’s job board, organizations can begin building their talent strategies by hiring students with the skills and expertise to work in roles across departments and industries. Our dedicated team is committed to help make finding the right talent for your business go from an uphill battle to a natural fit with the rhythm of your organization.

Why hire from Waterloo?
How does co-op work?
Sample jobs
Funding opportunities
Contact us
Get a hiring info package!

Top reasons to hire from Waterloo

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It’s easy to find the talent you need.

More than 26,000 co-op students are available to be hired each year.

lightbulb with money inside

It's an investment in your business.

On average, companies see a return of $2 for every $1 invested from hiring Waterloo co-op students.

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Funding options are available.

With current grants, tax credits and funding programs covering 50 – 70% of a student's salary.

How does co-op work?

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1) Register and post Affordable way to fill your talent needs

Access 26,000 students available to hire for full-time positions.

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2) Interview and hire Talent from 120+ accredited programs

Hire a student for 12 to 16 weeks.

3) Repeat Students are available year-round

Easily repost your jobs for the next work term and access fresh talent.

Join our Co-op Fundamentals Info Session

Gain insights on recruiting co-op talent, navigating Waterloo's hiring process, applying for funding opportunities and how we can support you.

Jobs Waterloo co-op students can fill

Waterloo students have the skills and expertise to fill roles in various areas such as marketing and communications, research and analysis, web and applications design development and business support services. Learn more about areas students can support in a few common job categories below.

Tip for posting your job: Employers can use clusters to target students they believe would be best suited for the job. Clusters are sorted into academic (course specific) and thematic (industry specific). Learn more about clusters and how to use them to advertise your job.

Business and Administration Support Services

Sample jobs:

Human Resources Coordinator
Staff Accountant
Business Analyst
Marketing Specialist
Web Designer
Customer Support Liaison
Office Administrator
Project Management Coordinator
Documentation Clerk
Financial Analyst

Sample job responsibilities:

Provide customer support (emails, live chat, phone)
Prepare and maintain accurate and complete files and records (e.g., assist with file set-up)
Develop,integrate and maintain a proper HRIS system to organize employee records
Post, update and remove job ads from job boards, careers pages and social networks
Analyzing operational processes to drive continuous improvement for quality and capacity issues
Track project schedules, key dates and reporting deadlines

Sample thematic job clusters:
Business administration
Human resources
Marketing and communications
Sales and business development
Finance and investment
Accounting and financial auditing
Insurance and risk management

Engineering

Sample jobs:

Product Development Associate
Engineering Design Assistant
Engineering Technician
Mechanical Designer
Data Engineer Assistant
Systems Design Engineering Associate
Structural Engineering Assistant

Sample job responsibilities:

Lead documentation revisions
Research and source components, materials and finishes
Sketch, conceptualize and prototype design solutions
Provide CAD support, engineering specifications, calculations and project management
Design and develop software, electrical, and mechanical specifications
Test prototype systems
Write design documentation and participate in design reviews
Assist with third-party testing standards
Structural analysis and design

Sample thematic job clusters:
Project and process management
Supply chain management and logistics
Manufacturing and process engineering
Construction and infrastructure development

Marketing and Communications

Sample jobs:

Marketing Coordinator
Digital Communications Assistant
Social Media Coordinator
Sales Communications Specialist
Technical Writer
Corporate Communications Coordinator
Project Assistant
Digital Business Analyst

Sample job responsibilities:

Write blog posts and email marketing messages
Research and implement content recommendations for organic SEO success
Track, report and analyze website analytics and pay-per-click initiatives and campaigns
Co-ordinate and create content for social media campaigns across various platforms (e.g., Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)
Produce visual assets, including graphics (digital and print), videos and photos

Sample thematic job clusters:
Marketing and communications
Digital graphic media
Website design and development
Environment and business
Professional and technical writing

Research and Analysis

Sample jobs:

Research Analyst
Business Analyst
Macroeconomic Analyst
Financial Analyst
Junior Policy Analyst
Legal Assistant
Project Manager
Actuarial Analyst
Data Administrator
Data Scientist
Mathematical Modeler
Transportation Logistics Specialist

Sample job responsibilities:

Interpret and analyze data to identify and communicate opportunities for improvement
Track platform information by collecting, compiling and summarizing data, working with analytics software to monitor site traffic and determine conversion rates
Perform routine updates using web application programming interfaces (APIs)
Complete website audits
Conduct market research and competitive analysis

Sample thematic job clusters:
Data analytics, statistical analysis and mathematical optimization
Data science
Information science and data management

Web and Application Design and Development

Sample jobs:

Digital Content Writer
Web Designer
E-commerce Platform Developer
App Developer
Digital Design Associate
UX/UI Designer
Software Developer
Database Developer
Full-stack Developer

Sample job responsibilities:

Build and test computer software or hardware components for information processing communication and storage
Develop website and e-commerce platforms
Create technical and end-user documentation for web applications
Assist in quality assurance testing and user testing for content and layout to recommend ongoing improvements to the user experience
Troubleshoot software and hardware issues
Analyze, design, develop and test usable, accessible web applications
Create and maintain complex software systems

Sample thematic job clusters:
Computing: information systems
Computing: software
Computing: quality assurance
Computing: hardware
Digital and graphic media
Software engineering
Website design and development

Don’t see what you’re looking for? Connect with us. With students from 120+ programs available each term, we can help you find the talent you need.

Industry-leading companies hire co-op students

Waterloo works with small businesses, startups, incubators and local Chambers of Commerce to help businesses of every size hire from Waterloo.

Here’s a small snapshot of organizations that we work with:

Remitbee
Curvegrid
Hockeystick Inc.
Vidyard
Lumos Health
Athos

Appficiency Inc.
Odaia Intelligence Inc.
Sipstack Inc.
Pexhouse.com
CiteRight
Trexo Robotics

AceAge
Ontario Chamber of Commerce
Accelerator Centre
Haltech
Invest Ottawa
Velocity

Watch our recent webinar about entrepreneurship in Canada

View on YouTube

Top wage subsidies and tax incentives for hiring co-op

STUDENT WORK PLACEMENT PROGRAM (SWPP) RECEIVE UP TO $5,000 PER CO-OP STUDENT

Through SWPP, organizations in Canada that offer full-time employment opportunities for full-time
Canadian post-secondary students can receive wage subsidies. Several partners that deliver this funding for startups and small businesses include Venture for Canada and Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

How much is this funding?	Funding can cover up to 50% (up to a maximum of $5,000 per placement) Example: If you hire a student to work 35 hours a week at $18.00/hour for 16 weeks. Your total cost for wages will be $10,080. SWPP will then give you $5,000 at the end of the work term in wage subsidies. This means that your cost to hire a full-time staff member for 16 weeks is only $5,080! Students hired from under-represented groups may be eligible to have up to 70% of their wages subsidized. This is determined on a case-by-case basis at the end of each work term
Am I eligible?	There is SWPP funding available to employers in all industries Positions must be net new to qualify for SWPP funding (i.e.: positions over and above what employers hired last year at the same time) Employers can hire students in any program (i.e.: Arts, Business, Science...etc.) Students must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or a person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of employment to qualify for funding from SWPP Provincial and territorial governments are NOT eligible for SWPP funding
How can I apply?	You apply directly to each funding partner. We've put together a helpful list of details for all the funding partners. Take a look for more information!
What's the application deadline?	Applications are open! Deadlines vary by funding partner.

ONTARIO CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION TAX CREDIT $3,000 TAX CREDIT PER CO-OP STUDENT

Other provincial-based tax credits and incentives are available based on region.

How much is the tax credit?	Large corporations can claim 25% of expenditures, up to $3,000, while small businesses can claim 30% of expenditures up to $3,000, per eligible work placement. This tax credit is available for each work placement. Each work placement needs to be a minimum of 10 weeks and maximum of 4 months with no cap on the amount of eligible work placements an employer submits. Employers may have multiple work placements which take place at the same time and throughout the year (I.e. iIf 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).
Am I eligible?	Any Ontario employer hiring students from a post-secondary co-op programis eligible.
How can I apply?	Corporations claim the tax credit on Schedule 550 of their T2 corporation income tax return. Unincorporated businesses claim the credit on Form ON479 in their tax return.Learn more about the forms you need to submit on the government website.
What's the application deadline?	Tax season each year.

A tip to maximize your funding

Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) funding can be combined with the Ontario
Co-operative Education Tax Credit. This means that you might be eligible to receive both types of funding.

For example: for each student you hire, you could receive up to $5,000 in SWPP funding plus an Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit of up to $3,000 in expenditures not covered by SWPP!