Mentorship and co-op programs can be a key to success for businesses and prospective employees

by Lara Ryan

Most of us can name a favourite personal or professional mentor, someone who helped us along with advice and direction, and by setting a good example. Mentoring is a proven way to learn, praised since ancient times. While it enjoys some popularity today, more organizations would benefit from giving it a try. Putting young people together with potential employers can greatly benefit both.

April MacLeod operates a Halifax consulting firm focusing on student recruitment. “I hear a lot of talk about not being able to find the right or enough people for the job,” she says. “A co-op student or junior-level recruit can be a great solution. Young people bring fresh new ideas and a new approach.”

MacLeod knows both what business needs and what students have to offer; before becoming a consultant, she worked in career services at Dalhousie University. “Co-op offers the opportunity to gain practical experience and apply theory learned in the classroom to the real world. Some students know exactly what they want and stay with an employer throughout all their terms. Others look at co-op as the opportunity to test-drive different career paths.”

According to the Canadian Association for Co-operative Education (CAFCE), one of the many compelling reasons to hire students is for a company to try them on for size. Jeff Weiss, the president of the Toronto public affairs firm Harbinger, sees a clear return on his investment of energy and time: in the past five years, Harbinger has hired more than 20 students from Atlantic Canadian universities. “It’s a low cost per person, and many of them go on to become full-time employees,” he says. “I also think we have a responsibility to offer up something. In exchange, the students are enthusiastic and tech-savvy, and generally have great skills.”

Few other low-risk chances exist for potential employees and employers to check each other out. And creating this possibility is especially important in today’s job market.  This new generation of students wants to explore options before committing to an important career decision.  

Dustin Covey and J. Michael Delaney are co-op students at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. A business administration student, Covey spent his first two work terms with the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation; he has just completed his third co-op term, this time with Canadian Tire Corp.  Delaney is an IT student who has had work terms with Maritime Forces Atlantic and Research in Motion.

“Employers who support co-op programs are more attractive to new graduates because it shows interest in employee development,” says Covey.  “Students enroll in the co-op program to gain experience and develop professionally. Employers known for hiring students will often have a robust new graduate-recruiting program as well.”

Delaney feels the experience has helped him become more prepared for his eventual job search. “Co-op serves as a pre-employment training tool that offers experience on how to properly perform career planning, job-search skills, and the job-application process,” he says. “I can transfer this knowledge to a job search after graduation.”

Eighty post-secondary institutions across the country offer a work-placement option as part of their degree programs. More than 80,000 students a year choose this option, more than 7,000 of them in Atlantic Canada. Approximately three out of four co-op placements are in the private sector. This means that business plays an active role in helping students prepare for the post-graduation workforce. Co-op offices at Atlantic universities are constantly seeking new employers to match with students. Often, alumni become a good source of employer talent as they look for ways to remain connected to an
alma mater.  

The Fairmont Hotel chain is a big co-op employer. The Fairmont Algonquin in St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, N.B., alone hires 15 to 20 students each summer.  Human resources director Sharon Taylor calls co-op programs “an excellent investment,” explaining that the ultimate objective is to have students return after graduation. Bringing in skilled students means an employer has an inside track to future hires too. “These students become a walking advertisement for employment with us.”

Both the 10 Best Companies to Work For and the Top 100 Employers lists are rated on training and skills development and community involvement, among other criteria. Mentorship programs address both of these issues.  

I’m a big believer in co-operative education, based on personal experience.  I was a co-op student a couple of decades ago while studying public relations at Mount Saint Vincent University. During my career I have supervised more than 30 co-op students, and in the past few years I have completed evaluations of co-op students returning from their work terms. I have seen the benefits of a co-op experience from all of these perspectives.

“The employer has the ability to mentor a student, which often provides employers with a newfound sense of motivation,” says MSVU student Dustin Covey. “Employers often feel a sense of accomplishment when they contribute their experiences and advice to an up-and-coming student.”

Lara Ryan is a business consultant specializing in CSR. She can be reached at lara@lararyanconsulting.ca.