The first time Esmeralda Bukuroshi had a co-op work term as part of her program at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus (UTSC), she tutored at Centennial College.
Bukuroshi is now in her fifth year of a biological chemistry program at UTSC, having recently completed a 15-month research-based work term in Calgary with NOVA Chemicals Corporation. Though the work term was already long at 12 months, she liked the position so much that she stayed on for an extra three months before returning to her studies.
Bukuroshi chalks up the success of her past co-op opportunity to luck of the draw. “It was the second job I applied to, and… the first interview that I got. It worked out very well, but I don’t think it happens for everybody,” she explains.
There are several factors at play within the UTSC co-op program that can make or break a student’s experience. While students in certain programs such as management have wide access to placements and administrative support, others must fend for themselves to access work opportunities relevant to their areas of study.
Meanwhile, at the St. George and UTM campuses, available experiential learning opportunities are not as widely known.
Opportunities for advancement
The UTSC co-op program has been in operation for 40 years. Co-op is an option for both Arts and Science and Management students at the Scarborough campus.
Approximately 2,100 UTSC students are currently enrolled in co-op programs.
Students either enter co-op in their first year, or apply to transfer to the co-op program later on.
Kanwar Gill, president of the Co-op Students’ Association (CSA) and a fourth year computer science co-op student, says that co-op is sometimes seen as a positive way to bolster transcripts. “Most of the students in my program have a GPA that’s not the highest [nor] the lowest, so if you have a co-op to complement that, it’s an asset for your resume,” says Gill.
This is a common response from co-op participants, including Gill, who feel that having tangible work experience upon graduation provides an employability advantage. Gill says that many co-op students develop relationships with their co-op employers while in school, that can sometimes translate into job offers after graduation. According to Gill, the companies which students complete a co-op placement with will likely hire them afterwards.
Althea Blackburn-Evans, U of T director of media relations, says that quality placements like those described by Gill and Bukuroshi are common throughout the Scarborough campus program. “UTSC students find meaningful placements with top employers including Microsoft, Mercedes-Benz, CIBC, Scotiabank, RBC, Telus, The Hospital for Sick Children, Deloitte and various government ministries,” Blackburn-Evans says.
All co-ops through UTSC are paid.
Blackburn-Evans also points out that the UTSC co-op program continues to grow, and that students are finding placements despite a difficult job market.
Luck of the draw
The lucrative options that Blackburn-Evans describes, however, pertain to certain programs more than others. Gill observes that the management co-op program is more “rigorous,” and many Arts & Science co-op students are taking computer science or math programs.
According to Gill, there are many companies that call for computer science students through the department website, which is the standard way to connect UTSC co-op students with employers.
Gill says that co-op students in certain other Arts & Science programs, such as linguistics, have more trouble in this stage. “It can be the case that… they don’t find jobs pertaining to their program specifically,” Gill says.
In this case, Gill says it is contingent upon students to network on their own, and some students are referred to potential employers individually by the co-op department.
Bukuroshi says that the amount of support she received from the department was relatively high. While working at her co-op placement in Calgary, she says that a co-op advisor from UTSC — who was in Calgary for a conference — arranged a meeting with her and her employer to check in.
Bukuroshi also describes having applied to a wide range of jobs for her first co-op term, thinking that all experience was of equal worth.
However, she found that when she was only offered a position at Centennial College, she was required to accept it.
This experience motivated Bukuroshi to get involved in the CSA and advise new co-op students to apply to jobs more selectively.
The CSA also provides feedback to the co-op department through regular surveys. Gill says that a common concern among students is that the department does not reply to communications in an efficient way.
Bukuroshi also points out that, during co-op terms, students are required to pay fees to the university equivalent to one course load.
Navigating the hidden options
While Bukuroshi and Gill suggest improvements to the UTSC co-op programs through their involvement with the CSA, St. George and UTM students question the absence of experiential learning options on their campuses. Erin Bionda, a third year Rotman Commerce student, says she is “surprised and disappointed” by the lack of co-op options at the St. George campus.
Bionda says that gaining hands-on experience can be fiercely competitive without the help of a university sanctioned co-op program. “In the business program, everyone competes for the summer internships. But a lot of companies aren’t willing to pay for interns, and it’s illegal to have unpaid workers if they’re not earning school credit,” Bionda says.
The lack of Rotman Commerce co-op opportunities can also affect some students’ decision to attend U of T or go elsewhere. Bionda describes her experience as a mentor talking to high school students, some of whom cited co-op as an important consideration in choosing the institution they would ultimately attend.
Bionda has also taken advantage of one of the newest experiential learning options at U of T, the 2014–2015 Internship in New Ventures, a course that connects students with technology start-ups at the Impact Centre.
Bionda says that, while she has had a great experience in the course, it may not be relevant to all interests since placements are confined to start-ups.
As Blackburn-Evans points out, experiential learning options exist on all three U of T campuses. She describes experiential learning as a “key institutional strength” of the university.
Experiential learning programs — such as the Professional Experience Year (PEY), which provides a full-time job that lasts 12 to 16 months — were coupled with the UTSC co-op program as a core priority in the university’s 2014 Strategic Mandate Agreement with the government of Ontario. However, computer science and engineering students tend to be the main benefactors of the PEY program.
