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Thursday, October 5, 2023
By: Isabella Deak (she/her)
At Geotab, co-op students gain more than professional experience and technical skills for the future. The organization provides a meaningful experience focused on challenging work that inspires innovation and the well-being of their students.
The Oakville-based organization, a global leader in fleet tracking and telematics solutions, hires students in every area of their operations. With over four million vehicles connected to their platform, the company's co-op students have driven growth in efficiency, safety and sustainability.
“There isn't a team that I've worked on at Geotab that didn't have students playing a very important role in bringing new fresh ideas and interesting perspectives,” says Chad Saliba, associate vice-president of solution marketing at Geotab.
Saliba is fond, particularly, of Waterloo co-op students.
“There’s something special about the community that comes from the University of Waterloo,” he says.
Chad Saliba, associate vice-president of solution marketing at Geotab
Student innovation is key at Geotab. Each term, students provide fresh perspectives and solutions for the organization’s advancement through the intern innovation challenge.
Past successes include reimagining product packing and environmentally friendly options throughout their operations. Sessions at the challenge encourage students to embrace new ideas while laying the groundwork for a potential career.
Every part of fleet management benefits from Geotab's ability to incorporate student ideas to turn data into actions.
“The challenge is meant to bring those fresh perspectives into the rest of the company, to find ways of doing things better and doing things in a new way,” says Saliba.
Geotab is the 2022 recipient of the Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE) Employer Impact Award for Impact on Student Experience. The company earned the award for providing exemplary student experiences.
Geotab provides meaningful work terms that extend much further than just technical skills. The organization prepares students for a complex future of work by focusing on other aspects of work terms.
- Ross Johnston, executive director of Co-operative Education
Building connections
To ensure student success, Geotab starts from day one – onboarding. The onboarding includes students’ participation in Geolaunch to understand the company’s values and growth with innovation. Following a strong start at the organization, Geotab offers career management in personal branding, networking, resume writing and interviewing. The organization creates an environment for wellness and promotes a flexible working style.
Geotab also holds intern appreciation week and a campus program that hosts multiple panel discussions that benefit the community. One example of a panel discussion is managing mental health and stress. Geotab is committed to fostering connections with its employees both online and offline. With social events, catered office lunches and consistent check in, Geotab goes the extra mile to ensure strong team cohesion.
“Within the teams, there's a lot of interactions that are outside of a purely work basis,’ says Jacob Piirsalu (he/him), a Mechatronics Engineering student who worked as a software developer at the organization in 2022.
“Even though we do work in a hybrid environment, I feel that the teams that Geotab are able to still stay connected, even at a distance.”
One way to stay connected is through their mentorship program. This program pairs every co-op student with a mentor who guides them through the term. Mentorship opportunities empower the students to take on challenging tasks and think outside of the box.
Geotab invests in co-op students and help them develop their professional careers. “It's very important to invest in the co-op students so that they can have more effective teams. If you look five years down the line, they could have an entire team of Waterloo students who come ready to work,” says Piirsalu. Piirasalu’s journey from a co-op to a full-time employee highlights Geotab's commitment to cultivating talent and paving the way for an interconnected, innovative future.
After three work terms with Geotab, Piirsalu moved into a permanent full-time role upon graduation. “From a personal and professional development perspective, Geotab is very good at supporting students to go out and find the things that inspire them and help them grow,” says Saliba. “This dedication to connection leads to a stream of creative solutions that continue to drive Geotab's success.”
- Chad Saliba, associate vice-president of solution marketing at Geotab