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Thursday, August 18, 2022
By: Krista Henry (she/her)
To help meet the demands of the growing bioeconomy, healthcare start-up CleanSlate UV is leveraging co-op students’ creativity and future-ready mindset.
CleanSlate UV harnesses the power of UV light to sanitize mobile devices, preventing the spread of bacteria to millions of people.
During the global pandemic, biotechnology companies like CleanSlate UV became more prominent in the fight against viruses like COVID-19.
Claire Dobbin
Senior product manager at CleanSlate UV
So much so that according to BioTalent Canada’s recent LMI study the industry will need an additional 65,000 workers by 2029.
CleanSlate UV, a student-founded company, is building their talent pipeline with the next generation of talent. Doing so helps them to get ahead of the impending demand for future talent.
“We bring on between 14-20 co-op students each year as well as work with several external student groups on a part-time basis,” says Claire Dobbin, senior product manager at CleanSlate UV. “We know the impact of the forward-thinking, creativity and different perspectives that students bring.”
The organization hires students in roles such as software engineering interns, accounting assistants, product engineers, product management co-ops as well as research and development engineers.
Students impact product development
Many of the company’s current product offerings and services are influenced by students and some are student led. Co-op students are designing accessories for UV sanitizers, developing internal electrical subsystems, coding technical firmware, building display screens and creating testing fixtures for quality assurance – among other projects.
Our beta software platform, used by dozens of customers, was entirely built by co-ops before bringing on a full development team. Students fuel our marketing department, creating nearly all our social media posts and content pieces. We even have students running microbiology testing to ensure our product provides the best efficacy. The possibilities are endless!
- CLAIRE DOBBIN, SENIOR PRODUCT MANAGER AT CLEANSLATE UV
The work of co-op students at CleanSlate has won several awards including the BioTalent Catalyst award for future leaders.
Waterloo co-op students stand out
While the organization hires from numerous universities, Waterloo co-op students still hold a strong presence each term. Waterloo students are eager to learn, motivated and have a positive attitude towards making a difference.
“Students from Waterloo have a unique, exceptional talent that many businesses can benefit from. The top skills they bring to the table are an innovative mindset with a fresh, unbiased perspective and readiness to take on any new challenges,” says Dobbin. “They are likely to suggest new and recent technical ideas they learned in school and provide diverse opinions which leads to better solutions.”
Providing diverse opinions is critical to CleanSlate’s success. The organization aims to have a team with 50% female students from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) as they believe diversity is critical to success.
“Having a diverse team strengthens team dynamic, allows for more creativity and contributes to a better working environment,” adds Dobbin. “When it comes to engineering, which many of our students study, we know that the gender gap is larger than other professions. We try to ensure that the team building our products is representative of the diverse customer base that uses our products.”
Today, several past co-op students work full-time at the start-up. CleanSlate UV has no intention of slowing down in their future student hiring. “When it comes to start-ups, which can often be hectic and where plans change quickly, the adaptability of co-op students is a huge benefit. They are essential to our business,” says Dobbin.
We can help you find the right talent. Get in touch with Emily!
Emily is a Business Developer for the University of Waterloo's co-operative education program.
She can provide you with guidance and answer questions you may have about hiring from Waterloo.
Email: emily.burgess@uwaterloo.ca
Phone: (226) 220-1766