Co-op placements at AC can be the gateway to career success

When Marconi Fonseca started his first semester in the Computer Programming program at Algonquin College (AC), he chose a co-op program because he thought it would help him have more opportunities to enter the job market. He had his co-op placement with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), and after completing the program, he was invited to stay as a full-time employee.

“The co-op department helps students get ready to find a co-op opportunity,” says Fonseca. “They helped us with our resumes and mock interviews. It was a great support system. In the AC co-op portal, we have access to all co-op opportunities, and there are great partnerships with various companies and even the government.”

Fonseca says that the content taught in the program and his experience working on campus were two crucial pieces that helped him succeed while doing his placement.

He worked as a Student Printer Supporter Technician during his program at AC. In this position, he wasresponsible for ensuring that printers throughout the campus were up and running, monitoring printer lab print activity, assisting students with downloading and installing print software, drivers and more.

“I’ve been able to use all the background education we received at Algonquin in the co-op position,” says Fonseca. “With the work on campus, I learned about teamwork, working with different people and cultures, and it helped me to adapt.”

When Fonseca started his co-op with the CRA, he began as a Local IT and held a four-month position. He then saw another opportunity with the CRA through AC’s co-op portal, and he applied for an IT developer position. When he graduated, he was hired full time, and a year after, he was promoted to an IT Analyst.

“Co-op is a plus. It gives you more possibilities in my opinion. It is a great opportunity to enter the job market,” says Fonseca.

Yene Paz, User Experience Researcher at a private company, was also hired full-time after her co-op placement. She was in the Interdisciplinary Studies in Human-Centred Design program at AC and said that having professors that work in the field was one of the most significant assets in the program.

“The professors have the knowledge from different projects and real experience in the field, so I feel that the program is really good and prepares everyone for success,” says Paz.

Paz has also highlighted her professors’ commitment to help students find placement opportunities, and always incentivizing them to apply for any position.

Paz’s program was fully remote, and she says that learning how to work in that environment has helped her in her current remote position.

“I work remotely, and it’s totally different from the interactions that you have when you’re working in person. We had the opportunity to see and use different tools to collaborate and work with each other remotely, so I think it was also something important that prepared me for my co-op and for my job as well.”

To learn more about co-op programs and opportunities, visit the Cooperative Education website.