University of Ottawa at the Edge of a 50,000th CO-OP Placement!

FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS, the University of Ottawa has been helping local, national and international organizations recruit talent through their CO-OP program. As the winter of 2019 recruitment process is getting underway, the CO-OP team is at the cusp of a significant milestone: a 50,000th CO-OP work term!

Many employers are quite familiar with hiring CO-OP students and routinely use it as a pipeline for attracting and retaining talent within their organization. As Cassy Aite, Co-founder and CEO at Desk Nibbles, has said, “At our fast-growing start-up, hiring CO-OP students is vital to our company’s success. With the help of the University of Ottawa’s CO-OP team, we’ve been able to recruit several talented students that take on challenging and impactful tasks. The uOttawa CO-OP team goes the extra mile to ensure that the process is seamless and meets our hiring goals.” Mr. Aite echoes what many other employers have voiced about being able to work with motivated and passionate students that are eager to learn new skills and immerse themselves in what could turn out to be a potential full-time employment path once they graduate.

Employers that have yet to hire CO-OP students would be easily swayed to do so when learning about some of the key reasons to recruit talent from the University of Ottawa. As Chantal Yelle, CO-OP Team Lead, Business Development, at the University of Ottawa tells us: “Whether it is by gaining year-round access to well-motivated, qualified employees, or by evaluating potential full-time staff in a controlled environment and therefore reducing costs and risks, or by gaining input into what students learn, CO-OP students are an ideal fit. Organizations can source temporary employees for peak periods or special projects and, thus, promote their organization as one that’s interested in developing the potential of young people.”

For the winter of 2019, approximately 1,100 students in nearly 80 different programs of study will be looking to secure a work term. For the summer of 2019, nearly 2,000 students will be available to employers looking to take part in the process. As Ms. Yelle mentions: “By offering CO-OP in many different programs, the University of Ottawa is able to help a wide range of employers meet their recruitment needs.” For small organizations or start-ups that want to hire CO-OP students, there is even an added incentive currently in place to help them get on board. For the winter of 2019 work term, Ottawa based start-ups and small enterprises with 100 employees or less can be eligible to receive a $3,000 grant. With the winter recruitment process now underway, interested companies should reach out to the University of Ottawa quickly to take advantage.

With nearly 50,000 work terms under their belt, the University of Ottawa’s CO-OP Program can clearly be seen as a key piece of an organization’s HR puzzle. For employers interested in learning more about CO-OP at the University of Ottawa and its potential impact, check out their website or contact Ms. Yelle directly at chantal.yelle@uottawa.ca (coop.uottawa.ca).