樱花影视

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Co-operative Education

Employer Symposium: Building Tomorrow's Workforce

This free 4-day virtual symposium for employers ran from October 14 to 17, 2025 and was hosted by the 樱花影视.

Watch the recordings

Members of the UVic employer network were invited to attend a series of virtual sessions hosted by UVic Co-op and Career Services staff. This event provided employers with insights to help shape the future of work. 

Missed the symposium? 

Watch the recordings on your schedule:

Keynote: Q&A with Canada's Chief Accessibility Officer

A conversation with Canada's Chief Accessibility Officer

Listen to this fascinating conversational between Canada's Chief Accessibility Officer Ms. Stephanie Cadieux and Niels Melis-de Lamper, UVic's accessibility and inclusion co-op and career coordinator. 

They provide practical and insightful tips and tricks to increase workplace inclusion and accessibility for organizations of all sizes.

How to hire a UVic co-op student

An overview of funding, timelines and employer benefits

Thinking about hiring a 樱花影视 co-op student but unsure how to begin?

Each year, over 3,500 UVic co-op students contribute to workplaces across sectors, offering a flexible and cost-effective way to meet your business needs. Whether you're navigating seasonal shifts or tackling long-term goals, students from diverse academic backgrounds — spanning tech, science, business, communications, and more — are ready to help.

Our employment development officers walk you through the steps to hire a UVic co-op student including key timelines and application tips. They are joined by a representative from the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC), a Federal SWPP funding partner, to share insights on how their wage subsidy program can support your hiring goals in 2026.

Presenters:

  • Morgan Filliol, UVic employment development officer
  • Tara Coulter, UVic employment development officer
  • Christine Bobyn, UVic employment development officer

Special guest:

      • Dave Murray (he/him), Senior Advisor, Industry and Ecosystem Engagement at .

Resource:

Community-Engaged Learning (CEL)

A spectrum of engagement

In this 20-minute presentation we shared how community engaged learning (CEL) differs from other forms of experiential learning such as Co-op and Work Integrated Learning (WIL).

Presenters shared the purpose, ethics/philosophy and spectrum of engagement with community partners.

Presenters:

  • April Vanini, UVic community-engaged learning coordinator
  • Rosa McBee, UVic community-engaged learning coordinator

Resource:

Unfortunately, this session was not recorded. 

The Co-op and Career Curriculum

Supporting students' career readiness 

In this presentation, we describe several curriculum initiatives across Co-op & Career that support students to graduate career-ready. We highlight our competency assessment process on the Co-op & Career portal and the centralized curriculum we offer through the Career Services website.

We also showcase two Brightspace courses that we offer: the Introduction to Professional Practice, our preparation course for all co-op students and Your Career Starts Here, our new careers course for undergraduate and graduate students.

Presenters:

  • Meg Thompson, UVic curriculum coordinator
  • Jada Tasker, UVic information and operations coordinator
  • Allison Benner, UVic associate director of career development and experiential learning

Resource: 

Hiring Indigenous students

Strengthening Recruitment and Retention with the Indigenous WIL Resource Hub

This session introduces employers to the Indigenous Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Resource Hub and highlights best practices for hiring and retaining Indigenous students.

Gain practical strategies, tools, and cultural insights to build stronger, more inclusive recruitment and retention practices that support Indigenous student success.

Presenter:

  • David Busch, UVic Indigenous co-op and career coordinator

Resources:

Hiring smarter

Insights from our co-op data

What does the data tell us about attracting student talent from UVic? In this session, we shared key insights from the 樱花影视’s co-op program on factors that drive student engagement and what that means for employers looking to optimize their hiring strategies.

Learn when students are available and most active in their job search, which jobs capture attention, and how to make the most of postings.

Presenter:

  • Leo Spalteholz, UVic acting director of operations

Resource:

AI and the future of hiring

What employers need to know

From the role of AI in cover letters and online interviews, to its impact on entry-level positions, workforce demographics, and the skills employers now value most, this presentation examined both the challenges and opportunities AI brings.

We also discussed how AI is transforming workplace tools, why adaptability and people skills matter more than ever, and how employers can connect with universities and co-op programs to build a future-ready workforce.

Presenter:

  • Karae White, UVic career educator

Resource:

Hiring students from international pathways

What are you missing out on when not actively hiring Students from International Pathways (SFIP)?

Employers spanning from the non-profit to a multinational corporation shared how they actively recruit students from International Pathways and the benefits they receive as a team and company. Many of these students’ knowledge and expertise provide a culture perspective that better serves their clientele and business outreach.

We also provided tangible strategies on how you can better integrate equitable hiring practices in your organization including the ACE-WIL Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit for employers to attract, hire and onboard SFIP.

Presenters:

  • Landa Crockatt, UVic career educator
  • Amy Chen, UVic co-op coordinator
  • Sheri Love, UVic co-op coordinator

Panelists:

  • Roopam Roopam – People & Culture Business Partner, Redbrick
  • Mariana Ximena Bretado Brizuela – People & Culture Coordinator, Redbrick

Resources:

Hiring recent grads

Best practices for employers

In this presentation, Career Educator Joy Andrews discussed best practices in attracting and retaining skilled and talented recent graduates. From posting the job to selecting your chosen candidate, she shared strategies to help you become an employer of choice.

Learn how to assess your practices including strategies to engage with students prior to graduation that help you connect with today's new grads.

Presenter:

  • Joy Andrews, UVic career educator

Resources:

Employer panel on accessibility

Inclusion at work: Practical ideas from accessible employers

In this panel, UVic's accessibility and inclusion co-op coordinator chats with accessible employers about how they ensure inclusive and accessible representation of the community they serve.

Presenter:

    • Niels Melis-de Lamper, UVic accessibility and inclusion co-op and career coordinator

Panelists:

  • Graham Ball – Engineering Manager, Urban Solar
  • Emily Dietrich – Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Program Manager, BCAA
  • Shirley Prasad-Naiviqa – Workplace Initiatives and Accessibility Manager, First West Credit Union