> National Co-op Education Week: Backpack to briefcase
National Co-op Education Week: Backpack to briefcase
Contact:
Kia Eskandar Afshari, co-op student: 778.995.5675; kaie@sfu.ca
Muriel Klemetski, SFU Co-op: 604.291.3836; klemetsk@sfu.ca
James Hughes, senior manager of technical recruiting, Business Objects: 604.687.8663; james.hughes@businessobjects.com
Agnes Zielichowska, campus recruitment coordinator, Business Objects: 604.647.8063; agnesz@businessobjects.com
SFU Public Affairs & Media Relations: 604.291.3210
Related web site:
www.sfu.ca/coop
Kia Eskandar Afshari, co-op student: 778.995.5675; kaie@sfu.ca
Muriel Klemetski, SFU Co-op: 604.291.3836; klemetsk@sfu.ca
James Hughes, senior manager of technical recruiting, Business Objects: 604.687.8663; james.hughes@businessobjects.com
Agnes Zielichowska, campus recruitment coordinator, Business Objects: 604.647.8063; agnesz@businessobjects.com
SFU Public Affairs & Media Relations: 604.291.3210
Related web site:
www.sfu.ca/coop
March 16, 2007
For Simon Fraser University co-op students like Kia Eskandar, the transition from backpack to briefcase after graduation promises to be relatively painless.
That’s because an overwhelming majority of students who participate in the university’s co-operative education program find employment even before they’ve officially received their diplomas.
SFU Co-op will celebrate National Co-op Education Week, March 19-23. It’s been 50 years since the co-op concept was introduced at Canadian post-secondary institutions, and for more than 30 years SFU has been an important player in the effort to build bridges between students and employers.
Last year, almost 2,500 SFU students gained valuable real-world skills by working for at least one semester at a job related to their field of study. Eskandar, for example, is currently working with Business Objects, a Vancouver-based software firm. Working in the product development project management office, his responsibilities involve elements of strategic planning and standards, including copyright.
“I’ve learned so much through SFU’s co-op program,” says Eskandar, now a fourth-year computing science student. “It’s really helped increase my knowledge of the types of opportunities and positions available to me in the industry. It’s definitely prepared me to find a career after graduation.”
Employers such as Business Objects also benefit from hiring SFU co-op students and graduates from SFU. “Co-op education is a win-win proposition,” says the company’s senior manager of technical recruiting, James Hughes. “Employers have ready access to a steady stream of creative and talented workers, and students gain important hands-on experience in the labour force. Essentially it’s an amazing networking opportunity with a paycheque attached to the process.”
That’s because an overwhelming majority of students who participate in the university’s co-operative education program find employment even before they’ve officially received their diplomas.
SFU Co-op will celebrate National Co-op Education Week, March 19-23. It’s been 50 years since the co-op concept was introduced at Canadian post-secondary institutions, and for more than 30 years SFU has been an important player in the effort to build bridges between students and employers.
Last year, almost 2,500 SFU students gained valuable real-world skills by working for at least one semester at a job related to their field of study. Eskandar, for example, is currently working with Business Objects, a Vancouver-based software firm. Working in the product development project management office, his responsibilities involve elements of strategic planning and standards, including copyright.
“I’ve learned so much through SFU’s co-op program,” says Eskandar, now a fourth-year computing science student. “It’s really helped increase my knowledge of the types of opportunities and positions available to me in the industry. It’s definitely prepared me to find a career after graduation.”
Employers such as Business Objects also benefit from hiring SFU co-op students and graduates from SFU. “Co-op education is a win-win proposition,” says the company’s senior manager of technical recruiting, James Hughes. “Employers have ready access to a steady stream of creative and talented workers, and students gain important hands-on experience in the labour force. Essentially it’s an amazing networking opportunity with a paycheque attached to the process.”