By Dr. Julie Beauchamp, Senior Vice President, Academic, Algonquin College
Preparing people for the jobs of today and the opportunities of tomorrow is one of Algonquin College’s most important responsibilities, and it is work we cannot do alone.
The strongest educational experiences are built alongside employers, industry, community partners and learners. These relationships help us understand changing workforce needs and ensure our graduates are ready to contribute from day one.
Sept. 20–26, 2026 marks National Forest Week (NFW) across Canada. Coordinated nationally by the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF-IFC), this annual event celebrates Canada’s forest heritage and raises awareness about sustainable forest management.
Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus has a long-standing history of training forestry industry leaders through the Urban Forestry – Aboriculture and Forestry Technician programs, partnering with several organizations in the Ottawa Valley to create hands-on experiences for learners.
Algonquin College has strong industry partners across the National Capital Region. Each year, we work with several employers to help our learners secure co-operative education work terms. Many learners continue these relationships into full-time employment after completing their programs.
We sat down with Kelly Daize, Executive Director and Ella Wiggins, Manager, Business Strategy and Innovation at Kanata North Business Association (KNBA) to talk about employability for learners entering a co-op work term, or entering the workforce upon graduation.