Employers

Stories relevant to those looking to hire co-op students and Algonquin Grads.

Celebrating Experiential Learning at the Co‑op Education Awards of Excellence

Awards of Excellence 2025

Algonquin College marked a proud moment on March 10, 2026, as the Coop & Career Centre hosted the 2025 Cooperative Education Awards of Excellence. Students, employer partners, and colleagues from Experiential Learning and Entrepreneurship came together to recognize the impact of hands-on learning across our community.

There were over 170 nominations for students and employers who took part in co op work terms in 2025.

Leaders highlighted the essential role Coop and eCo-op programs play in preparing students for meaningful careers while supporting employers with emerging talent and fresh perspectives. Six students were honoured for exceptional performance during their co-op work terms, and employer partners were celebrated for their continued commitment to high-quality Work Integrated Learning, mentorship, and student skill development.

The event also featured the Venture of the Year Award, recognizing an eCo-op student whose creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial drive exemplify the spirit of Algonquin College learners.

Mary Grammatikakis, Director of Experiential Learning at Algonquin College, emphasized the importance of “celebrating the impact of Co-operative Education—a form of experiential learning that provides students with valuable work experience while allowing employers to benefit from fresh perspectives and new talent.”

Honouring Co-op and eCo-op Student Achievements

Seven awards were granted to Co-op and eCo-op students who excelled during their work terms, demonstrating the transformative power of hands-on experience.

Thandiwe Ncube, Manager of Student Talent Development at Algonquin College, spoke about the competitive advantage Co-op gives to our learners. “Each of our recipients today has gone above and beyond in their roles, making meaningful contributions to their teams and workplaces. Their achievements are a testament to the value of co-operative education and the impact it has on both students and employers.”

Matthew Jerabek, Associate Manager, Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Algonquin College, spoke about… “Entrepreneurship, being an important pillar of experiential learning, and the award highlights the talent and creativity of students who take the bold step of turning their ideas into reality.”

Recognizing Outstanding Employers

In addition to celebrating student achievements, the event also honoured six industry partners who provided exceptional Work-Integrated Learning opportunities that significantly impacted our learners’ professional journey.

Lisa Benoit, Manager of External Engagement and Partnerships, also highlighted the strategic value of hiring Co-op students for organizations. “At Algonquin College, we are fortunate to collaborate with dedicated employer partners who provide students with meaningful work experience. These employers take the time to mentor, guide, and support students as they develop valuable skills in their respective fields.”

Congratulations to all of the 2025 Recipients!

Cooperative Education Student Achievement Award:

  • Gabriel Al-Rahi – Computer Programming
  • Amira Nasser – Interactive Media Design
  • Tavish Taylor – Bachelor of Digital Marketing Communication (Honours)
  • Matthew Miceli – Computer Programming and Analysis
  • Nicole Dacyshyn – Bachelor of Interior Design
  • James O’Brien – Computer Systems Technician – Networking

Outstanding Contribution to Algonquin College Cooperative Education Employer Award:

  • Éric Sigouin – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
  • Caitlin Kealey – Emdash
  • Trevor Lehouillier – Transport Canada
  • Verlyn Nischuk – BlackBerry QNX
  • Annabelle Faia & Zachary Smith – Arkalumen
  • Jennifer Farrell – BluMetric

eCo-op Venture of the Year Award:

  • Bingchen Jing – Computer Engineering Technology – Computing Science

The success of Cooperative Education at Algonquin College is only possible thanks to the support of our Co-op and Career team, industry partners, and faculty. Congratulations to all the award recipients, and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who supports our students throughout their Co-op journeys.

Students Connect with Ciena at Talent Talks Information Session

Ciena Talent Talks

The Co-op and Career Centre were pleased to host Talent Talks: Ciena on Feb. 19, welcoming 75 students from targeted technical programs together with leaders from one of the world’s foremost optical networking and technology companies. Held on the first floor within the School of Advanced Technology, for an afternoon of learning and industry connection. The session supported students preparing to pursue Fall 2026 Co-op.

Ciena’s presentation was delivered by Sean Keppy, Senior Manager of Systems Design Architecture Engineering, Emily Aubin, Senior Manager of Early in Career Programs and Payton Ward, representing the Intern, Talent Acquisition, Early in Career Programs. Students gained valuable insight into Ciena’s organizational culture, the types of Co-op roles available and the application process and timelines.

Following the presentation, there was an engaging Q&A and networking session. Students explored career pathways in network engineering, systems design and emerging technologies directly with industry professionals.

The Co-op and Career Centre extend its thanks to Ciena for supporting our learners and to the faculty who encouraged students to participate. We look forward to continuing to foster opportunities that strengthen industry partnerships and aid students in building meaningful, real-world experience.

Ciena Talent Talks

Students Connect with IBM Z on Mainframe Careers

IBM Z Info Session

The Co-op and Career Centre successfully hosted the IBM Z Connect Event on Nov. 20. The session introduced students to IBM Z — the branch of IBM that develops mainframe computers powering millions of secure transactions every day, from bank withdrawals to airline bookings.

The event brought together students from 13 programs, such as Artificial Intelligence Software Development, Bachelor of Technology (Business Systems Development) and Cloud Development and Operations, alongside IBM representatives, to explore career pathways in mainframe technology. Students had the opportunity to learn about IBM Z’s critical role in global industries, discover how companies rely on mainframes for efficiency and security, and gain insights into building industry-relevant skills through IBM Z Xplore courses.

The Co-op and Career Centre would like to thank IBM, the faculty and all participating students for making the event a success. We look forward to continuing to support students in building meaningful industry connections and preparing for careers in emerging technologies.

IBM Z Info Session

Building Federal Security Career Pathways for the Next Generation

Security Centre of Excellence Panel Discussion

On Nov. 26, the Co‑op & Career Centre, in collaboration with the Security Centre of Excellence (SCoE), hosted an exclusive information session for students in public safety and technology programs. The event highlighted career opportunities in Canada’s federal security. It featured a moderated panel discussion exploring pathways in cybersecurity, public safety and personnel security, while offering a perspective on the evolving needs of the federal workforce.

The panel brought together leaders from across government:

  • Marc Decary, Deputy Director, Technical and Digital Learning Centre, Global Affairs Canada, emphasized immersive training to build mission‑ready digital skills.
  • Yasmine Touijer, Human Resources Advisor, Public Service Commission, outlined modern recruitment practices designed to connect talent nationwide.
  • Eric Blanke, Intake Manager, Personnel Security Screening Office (PSSO), Directorate of the Personnel Security and Identity Management (DPSIM), Director General Defence Security (DGDS), Department of National Defence, shared insights on personnel security, identity management, and the importance of attention to detail.
  • Nathalie El-Haddad, Acting Team Lead, Personnel Security Screening Office (PSSO), Directorate of the Personnel Security and Identity Management (DPSIM), Director General Defence Security (DGDS), Department of National Defence, shared her experience from transitioning from an entry-level role into a full-time continuous position.
  • Robert Provencher, Manager & Senior Advisor, Capacity Building, Security Centre of Excellence, moderated the discussion and underscored the role of community development and readiness.

Students left with clear takeaways: Federal security careers are diverse, recruitment practices are evolving, and capacity building across departments is essential to resilience. Above all, the session reinforced that security work in Canada is mission-driven, focused not only on protecting assets but on building trust, fostering innovation and serving the public good.

Security Centre of Excellence Panel Discussion

The Business Intelligence, Research and Analytics Division in the CRA honours its commitment to hire Algonquin College co-op students during the pandemic.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has contributed to Algonquin College Cooperative Education in significant ways, which includes a commitment to hiring co-op students. One particularly noteworthy example within the CRA is the unique partnership established in 2015 between the CRA’s Business Intelligence, Research and Analytics Division (BIRAD) and Algonquin’s Business Intelligence Systems Infrastructure (BISI) program. Since its inception, this partnership has shown great value to both the Agency and Algonquin College students. The nature of this agreement took on an all new meaning this summer in the midst of the pandemic.

Going back in time, the terms of the agreement between BIRAD and the BISI program include student recruitment, innovative exploratory case studies, and upgraded training/accreditation opportunities for BIRAD employees. This agreement was further enhanced over the years, building on a culture of mutual trust and respect, collaboration, shared ownership and mutually agreed upon working arrangements. It is one of the cornerstones of BIRAD’s Human Resources Strategy. It provides an unparalleled opportunity for BIRAD to build and renew its capacity and meet the growing needs for a technically skilled workforce in advanced applied predictive analytics. Since 2016, BIRAD has coordinated the hiring of approximately 35 co-op students, for the Collections and Verification Branch from the BISI program; most graduates now work at the CRA full-time.

“Business and Artificial intelligence is a key component and driving force for the future. The BISI program is one of the best fits to meet our current needs,” says Hala Ibrahim, Director, BIRAD.

Co-op hires have been instrumental in bringing fresh, creative and innovative ideas that have helped optimize our existing business processes. In addition, the students bring with them a level of maturity that allows them to be successful in a public service environment. Being a one year specialization program, many of the students have practical real world experience in BI or related fields. These skills, enhanced by an intense BISI curriculum create the perfect conditions for the graduates to succeed.

“Upon joining BIRAD, BISI students are put through rigorous internal training and follow a development plan customized for them. This helps them learn about CRA processes, and exposes them to different areas of BI related workloads. The students have found professional success and have thrived in a CRA environment. With an incredibly high “bridge-in” rate, many BISI alumni have been promoted within our Division, or found success in other areas within the CRA,” says Dinaz Forbes – Coordinator, BISI-BIRAD partnership.

Throughout this long-standing partnership, BIRAD has developed and implemented a well thought out and effective process for hiring co-op students. The process starts with an orientation session to the new students, which includes presenting an overview of the Agency, BIRAD, the partnership, and a brief description of the work done in the hiring sections. Previous co-op students, who are full-time BIRAD employees are taken along to share their work experience, and offer tips to the new class on the management of their course load. Once the positions are posted on HireAC, BIRAD ensures that every student who applies is interviewed.

“We share interview questions with students ahead of time. We want to make them as comfortable as possible at the interviews so they can fully showcase themselves. The interview process lasts up to three full days, depending on the number of applicants. It’s a great opportunity for students to get experience in being interviewed. The BISI program instructor and the Stakeholder Relations Lead for Cooperative Education are given detailed feedback on the overall interview experience.” says Forbes.

The strong BIRAD-BISI collaboration enabled BIRAD to support the growth in the Business Intelligence/Applied Analytics sector stemming from the pandemic. Significant emergency packages were rolled out by the government to support Canadians in these unprecedented times. This context enabled BIRAD to honour their offers of employment made to seven students in early December. They all joined on the scheduled date of May 4, 2020.

Furthermore, when other BISI co-op students lost their prospective co-op assignments with various private and public sector employers because of the lockdown, BIRAD, in a concerted effort with BISI, was able to place three additional students, as BI service needs continued to grow and more expert resources were needed. This spoke volumes to the depth of the relationship and a mutual commitment in supporting each other for the common good. Other positive benefits emerged as a result of this situation. The solicitation of interest across the CRA’s BI community to fulfill both the organization’s resource needs and BISI co-op students’ employment needs helped raise awareness of the BISI program across the Agency for the future.

As the BIRAD-BISI partnership continues beyond the academic year, representatives from BIRAD participate with other employers from the public and private sector, as members on the “BISI Program Advisory Committee” meetings. BIRAD’s participation in the advisory committee benefits the college by utilizing industry knowledge to contribute to the BISI curriculum while providing an opportunity for students to gain quality work-integrated learning opportunities through class projects and co-op.

Every year, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) honours the achievements of its employees whose work and behaviour best exemplify the mission, vision, and values, through the CRA Awards of Excellence. A few years ago, the “Algonquin College and BIRAD Collaboration” was the recipient of this award in the Partnership category. This underscored the initiative taken in recognizing the growing demand for skilled labour in advanced applied analytics and providing a solution from within the Agency, to recruit and onboard young, promising students through the partnership.

In 2018, BIRAD and the Learning Technologies Division in CRA won the inaugural Outstanding Contribution to Algonquin College Cooperative Education Award.

The BISI-BIRAD partnership has proved to be incredibly powerful and impactful. Best practices from this relationship have been expanded within the Agency to the benefit of other areas, with a focus on the business intelligence community. BIRAD has demonstrated its sustained commitment through hard times, and is committed to continue building on this relationship and taking it to the next level in the years to come.

Business Intelligence System Infrastructure students complete their co-op work term in the summer and fall terms. Connect with us to hire an Algonquin College co-op student today.