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Our ailing economy’s rising student unemployment may account largely for an almost 13 per cent increase in the number of co-operative (co-op) education student applications at Simon Fraser University this fall compared to last fall.

SFU received 855 co-op applications between April 1 and September 28, 2009 compared to 764 during the same period in 2008.

Adam Brayford, SFU’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) communications and marketing coordinator, says, “We know that students tend to turn more to our co-op program to secure employment when the open job market tends to dry up. There was enormous growth (27 per cent) in the number of applications received between 2007 and 2008, which was around the time the official recession came into play.”

Brayford adds, “Students who may never have considered co-op before may now be at least looking into possibilities of joining the program as their independent job searches may be producing limited results.”

But, in a weakened economy, where belt-tightening businesses are less inclined to hire students and are choosier about who they hire, SFU co-op is encouraging students to find their potential employer themselves. Co-op will then help these students land a contract with their desired employer.

Brayford believes the depressed student job market and a new incentive are responsible for an almost seven-fold increase in the number of co-op students finding jobs through a self-directed employment initiative. More than 200 co-op students have won themselves a $100 SFU bookstore gift certificate since last January for landing a job with an employer they found.

“This process not only helps SFU co-op expand its database of employer contacts, but more importantly provides students with the skills and experience needed to obtain a position—valuable skills for post-graduation,” notes Brayford.

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Backgrounder: Economy challenges SFU co-op market

Contact:
Adrian Mocanu, ama54@sfu.ca, Langley resident
Ryan Stroeder, ryan.stroeder@gmail.com, Vancouver resident
Jose Luis Lopez, joseluisblopez@gmail.com, Vancouver resident

Students seeking conventionally offered co-op jobs find “employers are looking for students with a good attitude towards taking on challenges and delivering outcomes,” says Adam Brayford.

SFU’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) communications and marketing coordinator adds, “Challenging economic times also bring opportunities for students to show employers they are good team players. If there are cutbacks in staffing levels, everyone needs to be willing to pitch in to help in various areas, perhaps even outside a student’s typical scope.”

Brayford says SFU itself, even in tough times, is a “strong supporter of the co-op program. Numerous faculty members and units hire students to help them run research facilities and execute projects.”

Recent SFU co-op students Adrian Macanu, Ryan Stroeder and Jose Luis Lopez can attest to this. They say their collaborative four-month stint at SFU’s 4D LABS, which designs advanced materials and nanoscale devices, helped them develop team-playing skills.

Mocanu, an SFU systems engineering undergrad, and Stroeder and Lopez, UBC engineering physics undergrads, helped setup and maintain 4DLABS’ clean-room facility. They also ordered the labs’ new products and materials.

Mocanu says, “This co-op position helped me lay the foundation for possible future employment with a research team in a high-tech environment in the semi-conductor industry.

Lopez and Stroeder, both UBC students, agree that, “the ability to do a variety of tasks, both engineering and organizational, and build a rapport with senior researchers at 4DLABS increased their flexibility and marketability.”

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