The Career Bridge (Co-operative Education and Applied Studies) team at the University of Lethbridge is proud to kick off National Co-operative Education Week (Mar. 19-23) by announcing the 2017 U of L Co-op Student of the Year, Kyle Cole.
Cole, originally from Lethbridge, is currently in his fourth year of a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and has completed three co-op work terms with two different employers, totaling 12 months of work experience. His commitment to his academic responsibilities and work-integrated learning, along with his advocacy and stewardship of the Co-operative Education program are significant and noteworthy.
“I can genuinely say that the co-operative education experience has changed my life in many ways. The professional and personal opportunities that I was exposed to during my work terms provided me with skills, insight, perspective and drive like nothing before,” explains Cole, who receives a $500 cash award.
During his last eight-month co-op experience (May-December 2017), Cole was working in the Career Bridge office as the special project assistant for the Orbis Implementation – a platform that is now being used to merge several decentralized co-op programs into a unified centralized portal. In addition to the Orbis project, Kyle has become an incredible champion of co-op through regular participation in numerous student and employer engagement activities. He has quickly become a wonderful mentor to other co-op ambassadors and maintains an articulate public speaking presence that is incredibly impactful.
“Having worked with thousands of students over the last 20 years, Kyle stood out as a superstar because he possesses an incredible balance of professionalism, humility and unmatched work ethic,” says Jasminn Berteotti, director of Co-operative Education and Applied Studies.
"Our communities across Canada thrive when our young people, the workforce of the future, come together with today’s leaders to fuel intellectual and economic growth. For over 50 years, co-operative education has built and supported this relationship between students in Canadian colleges and universities, and employer organizations who value newly developed skills and fresh, innovative ideas. Canada wins with this mode of education that the universities and colleges offer to their students – upon graduation, the country gains a select group of individuals that have been trained in a work-integrated environment who will enter the workforce with key employment skills. Canadian employers value these graduates and are able to utilize them upon hiring for permanent positions. Co-op practitioners and institutions should be proud of themselves and their colleagues that are committed to dedicating their time and energy to ensure there are job opportunities for students seeking co-op work terms. Moreover, we have to thank those employers that provide work-integrated experiences for the students in partnership with the educational institutions."
Cole also had a work experience at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
National Co-op Week Kick-off and Celebration
Mon, March 19 | 12 – 3 p.m. | Career Bridge office (AH151)
Anyone is welcome to attend this free event to celebrate Co-op week and enjoy some lemonade, cake, and popcorn.
Social Media Contest
Co-op students from across the country are encouraged to participate in this challenge-a-day contest on social media. Grand prize winners get to choose a $50 gift card to any of the following: Amazon, Kelsey’s, Winners, Canadian Tire, Walmart, Best Buy. Whether you're on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram, you can share your experience, follow the contest and other Co-op & WIL Week updates using the official hashtags: #CoopWeek and #WILWeek. Follow #HireStudents for tweets and posts from employers or visit the LinkedIn group for employers.
For more information about National Co-operative Education and WIL Week, click here.
If you would like to find out more about Co-operative Education and the services offered by Career Bridge, visit the office in AH151 or ulethbridge.ca/career-bridge