2021 – a year of co-op employers in review
By: Namish Modi and Delia Loveless
As 2021 concludes, Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE) looks at some of our top stories of the year.
From profiles of our outstanding employers to a look back at the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, these in-depth pieces and accompanying videos showcase compelling stories.
Here is a look at the most-viewed stories of this year:
Next-generation talent modernizes operations in the insurance industry
When the pandemic hit, the world changed and so did the insurance industry. Faced with rapid digital transformation, Economical Insurance brought co-op students on to provide fresh perspectives and technical skills to tackle these challenges.
Emerging talent brings transformative, future-proof skills into human resources realm
An entrepreneurial spirit, inquisitiveness and a knack for problem-solving are just some of the skills Waterloo Arts students have that make them attractive to the human resources team at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC).
Timeline: Co-operative and Experiential Education’s changes and adjustments throughout COVID-19
Our timeline looks at just how much changed at the beginning of the pandemic and throughout its first year. The shift to working from home and to virtual interviews was drastic but smooth.
Students impact customer experience at global software company
When it comes to hiring emerging talent, the Genesys team had specific criteria to hire student talent. These criteria helped them hire students to full-time positions upon graduation.
Co-operative Education & Internship Association honour Waterloo students and staff
University of Waterloo students and staff were honoured by the Cooperative Education & Internship Association (CEIA). Several students were recognized including twin brothers Ayman and Ammar, who stood out for the significant impact they made during their work term at Dapi.
Waterloo students and alumni build robots to help children around the globe walk
When Manmeet Maggu’s nephew was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, he set out to find a solution. Alongside fellow alum Rahul Udasi, Maggu founded Trexo Robotics. Their prototype helped Maggu’s nephew to take his first steps.
Early talent at the helm of international development
Non-profits learned to adapt their offerings to support their communities during the pandemic. Organizations like Engineers Without Borders and FullSoul, had the foresight to hire Waterloo co-op students to help bring diverse thought and digital skills to their international development work.
Innovation, critical thinking key for Waterloo Arts students at Loblaw
With their multi-faceted skills, Waterloo students brought innovative ideas and expertise to their roles at Loblaw. Those skills became even more critical amid the pandemic.
Deloitte offering cyber security course to Waterloo students
Digital literacy has never been more important. Deloitte launched a cybersecurity course to help students build awareness of current cyber terminology and potential implementation solutions that organizations can use to address cyber risks.
Co-op students essential to product development process at healthcare start-up
At AceAge, Waterloo co-op students played an integral role in the company. “We wouldn’t have been successful in our product development process without co-op students.”
Honourable mentions
Small business transformation through digital acceleration
Working with Communitech, Arts and Math students from the University of Waterloo found creative solutions to help businesses stay competitive in a virtual world.
Waterloo Arts students bring a difference-making advantage to ApplyBoard
ApplyBoard has a mission to connect students, recruitment partners and academic institutions. They hired Waterloo Arts students to help make their mission possible.