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These last two years have been challenging for everyone. Not only are we missing out on special occasions, but we are also missing out on the day-to-day interactions that used to make up a regular weekday. Collectively, we are feeling disconnected and for many of us, this is impacting how we work.
As Mental Health Awareness Week at Algonquin College comes to an end we wanted to share a few tips on how to reduce some of the possible stress points around co-op employment.

Searching for jobs can be tough, we’ve all been there.

1. Get started! Plan ahead and block off some time in your week dedicated to getting your resume ready, applying to jobs, or preparing for an interview. If you are in your job search term, make sure you are logging in to HireAC to see the newly posted jobs and conduct a self-directed job search on the side. Read our blog post for tips on finding a co-op job outside of HireAC. And remember, don’t get discouraged, this is a process.
2. If you find yourself procrastinating, ask yourself why. If it’s because you need help, reach out to your co-op student advisor. We have six highly skilled and caring advisors on our team who are here to help.
3. Prepare for your interview. Book an appointment with our team using the appointment booking feature on HireAC. We also have some interview tips for a successful interview from our employers up on the blog that you can read.

Starting a new job comes with its fair share of excitement and pressure.

1. Set healthy and realistic targets. Employers have told us that what they look for the most in their co-op students is their willingness to learn. Have an open mind and ask questions.
2. Manage your workload. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, speak to your co-op supervisor, together you can discuss where you should be focusing your time and energy.
3. Identify and celebrate the small victories throughout your day.
4. Maintain healthy boundaries with work. If you’re working from home, try to have a designated workspace. Take breaks and get moving. You can go for a walk, stand up and stretch.
5. Maintain social connections for a healthy work environment by contributing to the group chat, or reaching out to colleagues and participating in meetings and social activities (yes, even the virtual ones!)

Remember, the Co-op team is here to help you succeed.

Reach out to us at coopandcareer@algonquincollege.com for the help you need on your co-op journey!

Algonquin College Resources:

• Counselling Services provides caring, confidential, professional counselling for Algonquin students at no cost. 24/7/365 counselling is also available through the Good2Talk Ontario Helpline at 1-866-925-5454. Students seeking support may contact Algonquin College Counselling welcomecentre@algonquincollege.com
• Substance use resources: https://www.algonquincollege.com/counselling/substance-use-resources/
• Community and college support services:
  • https://www.algonquincollege.com/studentsupportservices/support-students-crisis/
  • https://www.algonquincollege.com/studentsupportservices/mental-health/

Further Reading:

• Stress Management: https://algonquincollege.libguides.com/studyskills/stress-management
• Coping with Stress and Anxiety During COVID-19: https://www.algonquincollege.com/counselling/coping-with-stress-and-anxiety-during-covid-19/
• Tips for Working from Home: https://www.algonquincollege.com/coop/2020/03/23/essential-tips-for-working-from-home/
• Tips for Studying from Home: https://www.algonquincollege.com/contenthub/2020/04/08/5-tips-for-studying-from-home/

This highly sought-after, very competitive, and newly added program, has already captured the attention of many local tech companies, and many of our government employer partners are very keen to start hiring from the Cyber Security Analysis program. The first cohort will be working in May 2022.

1. Providing local employers with the latest cyber security skills and knowledge

Algonquin College is now meeting regional demands and helping employers establish their cyber security talent pipelines. Students have already begun putting into practice the following skills:

• Securing networks using Cisco Routers/Switches other IDS/IPS, UTM, and other security appliances.
• Penetration testing fundamentals and digital forensics fundamentals.
• Basic understanding of the tools, methods, and applications of cryptographic capabilities to security mechanisms & controls.
• Cyber incident response fundamentals.
• Security Law & Compliance: good appreciation of laws, regulations, and standards are to be consulted/used in various regions and environments for achieving a strong security posture.
• Business continuity and disaster recovery: good appreciation of how to plan for the worst-case scenario(s) and how to proceed to recover.

2. The benefits of applied learning in the field of cyber security

All courses in this program focus on applied learning with practical activities. The academic curriculum was developed following the Canadian Center for Cyber Security’s (CCCS) curriculum guidelines. Students benefit from the cyber lab at Algonquin College. The lab is equipped with enterprise-grade cyber security hardware/software and high-end workstations with a dedicated vCluster for each student.

Courses in this program include: Threat Management, Traffic Analytics, Vulnerability Management, Security Devices and Appliances, Applied Cryptography, Digital Forensics, Penetration Testing, Cyber Incident Response, Business Continuity, and Disaster Recovery, Students are also required to complete a Capstone Project. Students from this program graduate with an Ontario College Graduate Certificate.

3. Increase your capacity by adding co-op students to your team

Many employers hire co-op students to fill employment gaps on their teams or to work on an assigned project. Co-op is a great way to explore potential new hires.

For more information on the program visit: https://www.algonquincollege.com/coop/coop-entry/cyber-security-analysis/

If you would like more information on the program or for help posting a job, please reach out to coopandcareer@algonquincollege.com

Entrepreneurship Co-op (eCo-op) is an initiative that empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to spend their co-op work term working full-time on their business idea under the guidance of an industry mentor. eCo-op students are the owners of their company and are considered entrepreneurs working towards making their start-up dream a reality.

Chris Hing had been working for several years before enrolling in the eCo-op program at Algonquin College.

“There is no better way to learn an industry than to start your own business”.

– Chris Hing on eCo-op.

Chris believes that eCo-op allows students to further the skills they are learning in class by offering real-life challenges and the opportunity to develop problem-solving as a skill. According to Chris: “becoming an expert in one area will teach you how to become an expert in others, and learning how to solve problems is more important than any single solution.” Chris adds to this that, “the most powerful skill one can have is the ability to self-educate, and the only way to know if you’re capable of self-education is to try”.

Of the many benefits of eCo-op, Chris has been receiving the support he needs from two classmates: Aleksandr Anseev and Anoop Sidhu. They are working on Chris’s project for their eCo-op credits. Students often choose to work together and collaborate on a project during their eCo-op work term. Together, Chris and his team are turning his business idea into a marketable solution.

The Project:

Chris and his team have been hard at work developing software and are awaiting patent approval, which they are hopeful will come through by the end of the year. It is for this reason that Chris describes his project without giving away any specifics. “What I can say is I noticed a simple SAAS solution to a problem that has been plaguing companies for as long as the internet has existed. I can say we now have a working prototype, and hopefully, we will be ready to go public once our program has concluded.” Chris will be graduating in December 2021.

The Algonquin College Co-op Department is currently accepting a limited number of eCo-op applications for the Fall 2021 term. If eCo-op seems like the right fit for you, you can apply by filling out this form by July 5th:

https://www.algonquincollege.com/coop/student-entrepreneurship-co-op-application/

Want more information? The Co-op office is hosting an information session on June 24th, at 11 am. You can sign up here:

https://algonquincollege.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIucO2hpzsjGNDLeUMfiCeJ9yzsHbRLY9OH

Kevin Garrahan, Building Construction (Honours) Co-op Student.

Every year the Co-op department surveys its employer partners and students. Again this year, the co-op team is happy to report that survey results demonstrate high overall student and employer satisfaction. Students excelled at their jobs and were eager about their co-op experience.

What the employers told us…

The level of satisfaction among employers remains very high. Over 95% of all employers surveyed say they are satisfied with the level of preparedness Algonquin College students demonstrate throughout the job application and interview stages. “The Co-op department is very good at communicating upcoming events and assessments with the employer. The students have integrated into our team smoothly and contribute daily to our goals,” says a respondent. Employers are telling us year after year that students have the knowledge to do the job and that they are consistently performing well.

This survey also allows the co-op department to assess its position on the job market, and according to feedback, Algonquin College students are very competitive candidates, with many employers commenting on the impressive selection of candidates.

“We feel like we won the lottery with our student. She was truly a gift in every way!”

– 2020 employer survey respondent.

AC Student Top Qualities, According to Employers

We asked our co-op employer partners to rate the abilities and qualities of their students, these are the results:

• 94% of employers said their co-op students were very much open and willing to learn.

“The co-op students are always hard-working, eager to learn,” writes one employer.

• 91% of employers said students were very good or excellent team players.
• 88% of employers rated their students as very self-motivated and would show initiative.
• 85% of employers said their students were very people-oriented.
• 80% of employers said their students came to the workplace with very good or excellent technical skills.

“Our employers tell us time and time again that they are looking for strong professional/soft skills when they are looking for a new employee,” says David Hall, Manager, Cooperative Education, Algonquin College. “The technical skills taught by our fantastic faculty are always strong in our students – this has been our success for over 50 years. What puts our students at the head of the pack is when they can combine these technical lessons in the classroom with refined communication, professionalism, and teamwork skills – this is the type of candidate our employers are hungry for.”

What the students told us…

Powered by our collective response to the pandemic, student satisfaction with their co-op experience remained strong in 2020 as we saw the satisfaction rate rise to 86%.

In the first few weeks of the pandemic, feelings of uncertainty were a shared experience for co-op students across the country, the support and services offered by the Co-op department offered an element of security. Students said that having access to co-op resources as well as having direct access to employers looking to hire was reassuring as they navigated an unstable job market.

“Opportunities posted during COVID are so precious!”

– 2020, Co-op student survey respondent.

“During such an unusual year, and incredibly challenging job market, the co-op team looked for creative solutions each week to enable as many co-op work-terms as possible,” explains Hall. “The Co-op team’s creativity led to the launch of an Entrepreneurship Co-op program, the transition of all of our workshops, interviews, and appointments online, and saw us work directly with employers to establish modified work schedules and locations to ensure our students remained safe.”

The co-op program’s services that the students identified as most valuable include the resume and cover letter workshops as well as the interview preparation process.

Students reported learning a lot during their work term, enjoying the company culture, and making friends, all of this despite remote work for many. One student writes: “Still being able to have a co-op experience despite the pandemic. I learned a lot despite working from home.” The resiliency so many have acquired during this past year will undoubtedly be of added value to the workplace.

Pandemic or not, work-integrated learning remains a valuable model for students and employers. Algonquin College’s Co-op department is proud to be a contributing force in the community and continuing to offer the tools and resources they need to turn their dream into success.

For more information on hiring a co-op student for the fall, contact the Co-op Office at coopandcareer@algonquincollege.com.

Algonquin College Celebrates its Top Co-op Performers with the 2021 Co-op Awards of Excellence

Every year the Co-op Department recognizes the hard work and dedication of employers and students with the Co-op Awards of Excellence. This year seven students and seven employers have been honoured with this recognition.

Celebrate the hard work of these students and the contribution of co-op employers by reading their stories.

Employers on an Exceptional Co-op Experience

A common collection of abilities seems to weave through these stories and offers insight into what makes a co-op student successful. Positive attitude, willingness to learn, and offering solutions were raised by most employers when nominating students.

“My experience with Algonquin’s coop program and our coop student Zayed has been nothing short of inspiring and educational in that Zayed came on board with a mindset, knowledge, and skill set which enabled him to commit to the training and tasks assigned to him with fervor and with very little direction and correction. This is both telling of Algonquin College’s curriculum and instructors, and its well-prepared students.” Explains Co-op student Zayed’s supervisor at Canada Revenue Agency.

Students on an Exceptional Co-op Work Term

Students raised again and again when nominating their employers that new learning opportunities, support, and feeling like a member of the team lead to very positive co-op work experiences.

Computer Programming student Mélanie, writes: “I was welcomed and integrated as part of the team by my manager and co-workers while everyone had the difficult task of adjusting to working remotely. Despite all of the changes to the work environment for my team, they made me feel welcomed and a valuable part of the team. My co-workers shared their knowledge and expertise.”

“Truly going into this co-op, I did not expect it to have such a profound impact on my future outcomes. Through Julie’s encouragement, communication style, management, and collaboration, I now have a career path that I am keen on exploring,” Galen Richardson, GIS student who nominated her supervisor at Natural Resources Canada, Julie Lovitt .

Through their co-op experiences, these students and employers are living the college mission by helping to transform hopes and dreams into lifelong success.

Congratulations to all nominees and recipients!