MEDIA RELEASE:  Algonquin College and RBC

Partner to Support Business Students

PEMBROKE, ON, December 8, 2008:  Algonquin College in the Ottawa Valley and the RBC Financial Group have partnered to provide more workplace learning experiences for students in the Business program at the Pembroke Campus.

The partnership allows for as many as 12 Business students to participate in a paid summer co-op placement at one of several RBC branches in Eastern Ontario, covering the bank’s Ottawa-Carleton, Rideau Valley and Ottawa Valley branches. The partnership also provides graduating students with the opportunity to secure permanent employment with RBC upon completion of their program.

PHOTO:  Rebecca Cadieux, left,

and Emma Leavey are applying for co-op placements with RBC Financial Group which

is providing 12 co-op positions for Pembroke Campus students from May to August 2009.

Algonquin College’s Business, Technology and Outdoor Training Department Chair, Murray Kyte, commended RBC for its leadership in providing paid workplace opportunities for students in the Business program.  “We introduced paid co-op at our campus two years ago and it has been highly successful.  Companies and organizations are recognizing that providing paid co-op work experience to college students is a great way to recruit new employees. We are very pleased to have RBC as a partner to our co-op programs.”

Students who are accepted into a co-op placement with RBC will be exposed to senior banking positions such as personal and commercial account  management, financial planning and branch management. The positions will be available on a Monday to Friday basis and students will complete their co-op placement from May to August.

Two area Business students who plan to apply for co-op positions are Emma Leavey of Pembroke and Rebecca Cadieux of Shawville.  “We are excited about this opportunity to work in the banking industry.  We hope we will be accepted for a co-op placement with RBC and look forward to reaping the benefits of having a work placement experience while continuing to study in our Business program.”

The Business program is a two-year compressed diploma program that can be competed in less than one-and-a-half years.  The laptop program trains students in many areas including accounting, leadership and ethics, advanced computer applications, marketing, economics, management, entrepreneurship and small business.

“Having just been honoured by being named one of Canada’s top 100 Employers for 2009, we’re delighted to provide meaningful workplace learning for students from Algonquin” said Michael Adamcryck, Regional Vice President for this market.  “RBC has an ongoing commitment and works hard to be an employer of choice where people are valued and experience career growth and satisfaction.  We can promise that the first thing these co-op students will notice about RBC is our passion for always putting the client first.”

The Royal Bank of Canada is the largest bank in the country and one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies.  They employ approximately 75,000 full and part-time employees who serve more than 17 million personal and business clients through offices in Canada, the U.S., and 46 other countries.

Business is one of five programs at the Pembroke Campus that offers paid co-op experiences to students. The other co-op programs are Outdoor Adventure Naturalist, Golf and Ski Operations Management, Computer Systems Technician, and Motive Power Technician.  

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Kim Mantifel, Program Co-ordinator

613-735-4700, Ext. 2769

or Apply on-line at:  Ontariocolleges.ca