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Thursday, July 13, 2023
By: Namish Modi (he/him)
Work-integrated learning (WIL) and economic recovery were key themes at the recent (World Association of Co-operative Education (WACE) Conference in Waterloo.
A panel of employers shared insights about the potential impact that future-ready talent, like co-op students, can have on the economy. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP), Manulife and Deloitte shared their experiences with WIL and how it can help contribute to economic recovery. The University of Waterloo’s Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE) unit hosted the conference on June 28-30, 2023.
More than 200 WIL practitioners from across the world gathered in Waterloo, Ontario to discuss topics related to the conference theme, “The future of work: engaging work-integrated learning to achieve innovation, entrepreneurship & economic recovery in an uncertain world.”
At the panel discussion hosted by Dr. Norah McRae, associate provost of CEE, the value of Waterloo co-op students to employers was apparent.
Employers talked about how co-op students demonstrate loyalty to their co-op employers.
Ruhuni de Alwis (BMath ’89), people and culture leader at HOOPP, believes students are sustainable talent that can grow within roles at their organization.
The current market is really tough for senior talent. Bringing in junior talent that can grow into more senior roles is a strategic plan for HOOPP and co-op students exhibit loyalty through the roof.
-RUHUNI DE ALWIS, people and culture leader at HOOPP
de Alwis finds that when hiring externally for senior positions, employees change roles more frequently. “It’s so much better if we grow our own talent, we get so much benefit from that initial investment," she says. Students at HOOPP work in investment and information technology. They hit the ground running and learn related technologies quickly.
Naveed Zahid is the associate vice president of engineering transformation, global technology strategy and transformation at Manulife. During the panel discussion, Zahid explained how Waterloo co-op students have a huge impact and bring fresh perspectives to Manulife.
He agrees with de Alwis that students are a go-to talent strategy. Zahid described the value in hiring and investing in co-op students from the beginning. In his experience, co-op students use word-of-mouth sharing with their peers to help create a positive mindset around the insurance industry.
For us, the co-ops we bring onto our team are key to the organization’s success. We treat them as full-time employees and give them same tasks.
-NAVEED ZAHID, associate vice president of engineering transformation, global technology strategy and transformation at Manulife
Manulife has hired co-op students for many years and, since its launch in 2021, contributes as an industry expert in Waterloo’s WE Accelerate program for first work term students.
Students bring innovation, life-long learning and entrepreneurship
For these employers, the benefits of innovation, life-long learning and entrepreneurship are key highlights of hiring co-op students. Stephen Harrington is partner and national lead in workforce strategy at Deloitte Canada. During the panel discussion, Harrington explained that “students always have a fresh perspective and are willing to question processes in an organization. They are willing to ask ‘why’ or ‘I don’t get it.’” Harrington also finds that students are passionate about adopting a lifelong learning mindset.
“For students, we need to encourage them to be really aggressive about learning,” says Harrington.
“Meaning don’t let anyone get in your way. I like to say that Boomers and Gen Xers, when we came into the employment market, it felt like we were lucky to have a job.
But for millennials and Gen Z, they are far more likely to say, ‘you’re lucky to have me.’ That’s a very healthy mindset shift and I’m with them.”
WACE panel speakers: Dr. Norah McRae, Stephen Harrington, Naveed Zahid and Ruhuni deAlwis (from left to right)
According to Zahid, organizations need to start focusing their attention on continuous learning. “If you’re constantly learning new skills, new approaches, you’re going to drive innovation within your organization. We’re lucky at Manulife, we invest heavily in a culture of learning,” says Zahid.
Each of the panelists agreed that students are a valuable way of investing in a company’s continuous learning.
Ross Johnston, director of co-operative education at Waterloo emphasized the university’s gratitude for the support of employers like those in the panel discussion at WACE. “Through providing these strong WIL experiences for our students, our co-op employers play a key role in helping our students become future-proof,” says Johnston.