The AI Assistant Expanding Job Opportunities for University of Waterloo Students
For co-op students, securing a co-op job has always required persistence. The process of scanning job boards, tailoring resumes, and submitting applications to multiple employers can feel like a full-time commitment, often pulling focus from coursework and other responsibilities.
Recognizing this challenge, the University of Waterloo is introducing a new AI-powered tool designed to simplify that experience for its students. JADA, short for Job Aggregator Digital Assistant, is a new AI assistant created to help students navigate the job search more efficiently. Developed by the University of Waterloo in collaboration with Microsoft and powered by Azure OpenAI Service, JADA expands access to job opportunities while offering real-time support for co-op students.
General home screen for Job Aggregator Digital Assistant (JADA), the new AI-powered tool on the Waterloo Portal website.
Evan Yan, a Waterloo co-op student who worked on the project, understands first-hand what it is like to secure a co-op job. “The job aggregator provides more possible jobs for students to apply for,” he said. “It’s nice to have a collection of job boards consolidated into one place. And the digital assistant provides ease of access to the answers students would typically ask an advisor.”
For a university with one of the world’s largest co-op programs, the introduction of JADA represents a significant step forward in supporting students as they prepare for the workforce.
“Since our founding, with co-operative education as the cornerstone of our institution, the University of Waterloo has done things differently. Today, we continue to lead and innovate in experiential education. This new tool harnesses the power of generative AI to ensure our co-op students can be as successful as possible in this rapidly changing and competitive job market,” said Vivek Goel, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waterloo. “Working alongside our long-time collaborator, Microsoft, the tool was created by our Co-operative and Experiential Education team with co-op students and our talented IT staff. I’m proud of those who contributed to this work. It is important to continue to innovate, embrace new technology and put it to use supporting our students.”
Work-integrated learning has been a defining feature of a University of Waterloo education for more than six decades. The university’s co-op model—where students alternate between academic terms and paid work placements—has grown into one of the largest programs of its kind, with more than 26,000 students participating each year and a network of 8,000 employers in more than 70 countries.
To help students in their search for quality co-op jobs, Waterloo is working with credible industry partners like ECO Canada and Job Bank Canada. The job aggregator component in JADA showcases high-quality co-op jobs from partner job boards and uses AI to determine strong matches with their skills and knowledge.
As the hiring landscape shifts, Waterloo is ensuring its students stay ahead. Many employers are moving beyond traditional job postings, opting instead for direct recruitment or AI-driven hiring processes. At the same time, students are balancing coursework while applying to more positions than ever, making a faster, more efficient job search essential to securing the right co-op opportunity.
“We want our students to have access to industry’s best opportunities and our companies to have access to the best co-op talent in Canada,” said Dr. Norah McRae, Associate Provost for Cooperative and Experiential Education at the University of Waterloo. “JADA provides a new way to both connect students and employers and provide a more personalized experience.”
With its AI-powered assistant, JADA also offers real-time support, answering common co-op and career-related questions about job applications, deadlines, and interview preparation. By reducing the need to search across multiple websites or wait for an appointment with an advisor, JADA gives students more time to focus on securing the right opportunity.
“Having time back gives us more time to apply for more jobs and have a better study term,” Yan said.
JADA is part of a larger strategy at the University of Waterloo to integrate AI into career development, student support, and university operations.
AI-based response provided by JADA on the Waterloo Portal website.
Launched during the pandemic with Microsoft as a key partner, the Waterloo Experience Accelerate (WE Accelerate) Program was one of the first major initiatives to help students prepare for AI-driven careers. Since Spring 2021, the Microsoft stream of the program has provided hands-on training in AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and data analytics, equipping 1,664 students with skills in technologies that are increasingly shaping industries.
“We created the Microsoft Azure and AI stream for the WE Accelerate Program to help students develop the skills employers are looking for,” said Dr. Elka Walsh, Americas Higher Education Transformation Lead at Microsoft. “Students who complete the stream, and real-world project, earn their first Microsoft certification, giving them a competitive edge in the job market.”
Beyond student training, the University is working with Microsoft to identify innovative approaches to integrate AI-centric tools, promote AI literacy, accessibility, and collaboration among their faculty and staff. The co-op and experiential education teams are already piloting Microsoft 365 Copilot to enhance operational efficiency and help them to free up time so they can focus on their most important work.
“Universities have significant budget constraints,” Dr. Walsh said. “By using tools like Copilot 365, the University of Waterloo is enhancing efficiency, freeing up time and resources for what really matters: student success.”
JADA is more than just a new tool for job searching, it reflects a broader shift in how the University of Waterloo is preparing students for an evolving job market shaped by AI. As these technologies become central to recruitment, students will need to do more than simply navigate AI-driven hiring systems; they will need to understand and work alongside them.
This growing demand for AI literacy is shaping how both universities and employers approach workforce development. A recent Work Trends Index from Microsoft and LinkedIn found that 61 per cent of employers want to hire people with AI skills, and more than 70 per cent said they would hire a more junior candidate with AI expertise over a more senior one without it.
For Waterloo, ensuring students are ready for these changes is a priority.
“The future of work is changing,” Dr. McRae said. “We have a responsibility to ensure our students are equipped to thrive.”
