Algonquin College Co-op Student and Employer Surveys Demonstrate High Levels of Satisfaction Despite Pandemic 

Posted on Tuesday, June 1st, 2021

Kevin Garrahan, Building Construction (Honours) Co-op Student.

Every year the Co-op department surveys its employer partners and students. Again this year, the co-op team is happy to report that survey results demonstrate high overall student and employer satisfaction. Students excelled at their jobs and were eager about their co-op experience.

What the employers told us…

The level of satisfaction among employers remains very high. Over 95% of all employers surveyed say they are satisfied with the level of preparedness Algonquin College students demonstrate throughout the job application and interview stages. “The Co-op department is very good at communicating upcoming events and assessments with the employer. The students have integrated into our team smoothly and contribute daily to our goals,” says a respondent. Employers are telling us year after year that students have the knowledge to do the job and that they are consistently performing well.

This survey also allows the co-op department to assess its position on the job market, and according to feedback, Algonquin College students are very competitive candidates, with many employers commenting on the impressive selection of candidates.

“We feel like we won the lottery with our student. She was truly a gift in every way!”

– 2020 employer survey respondent.

 

AC Student Top Qualities, According to Employers

We asked our co-op employer partners to rate the abilities and qualities of their students, these are the results:

  • 94% of employers said their co-op students were very much open and willing to learn.

“The co-op students are always hard-working, eager to learn,” writes one employer.

  • 91% of employers said students were very good or excellent team players.
  • 88% of employers rated their students as very self-motivated and would show initiative.
  • 85% of employers said their students were very people-oriented.
  • 80% of employers said their students came to the workplace with very good or excellent technical skills.

“Our employers tell us time and time again that they are looking for strong professional/soft skills when they are looking for a new employee,” says David Hall, Manager, Cooperative Education, Algonquin College. “The technical skills taught by our fantastic faculty are always strong in our students – this has been our success for over 50 years. What puts our students at the head of the pack is when they can combine these technical lessons in the classroom with refined communication, professionalism, and teamwork skills – this is the type of candidate our employers are hungry for.”

 

What the students told us…

Powered by our collective response to the pandemic, student satisfaction with their co-op experience remained strong in 2020 as we saw the satisfaction rate rise to 86%.

In the first few weeks of the pandemic, feelings of uncertainty were a shared experience for co-op students across the country, the support and services offered by the Co-op department offered an element of security. Students said that having access to co-op resources as well as having direct access to employers looking to hire was reassuring as they navigated an unstable job market.

 

“Opportunities posted during COVID are so precious!”

– 2020, Co-op student survey respondent.

 

“During such an unusual year, and incredibly challenging job market, the co-op team looked for creative solutions each week to enable as many co-op work-terms as possible,” explains Hall. “The Co-op team’s creativity led to the launch of an Entrepreneurship Co-op program, the transition of all of our workshops, interviews, and appointments online, and saw us work directly with employers to establish modified work schedules and locations to ensure our students remained safe.”

The co-op program’s services that the students identified as most valuable include the resume and cover letter workshops as well as the interview preparation process.

Students reported learning a lot during their work term, enjoying the company culture, and making friends, all of this despite remote work for many. One student writes: “Still being able to have a co-op experience despite the pandemic. I learned a lot despite working from home.” The resiliency so many have acquired during this past year will undoubtedly be of added value to the workplace.

Pandemic or not, work-integrated learning remains a valuable model for students and employers. Algonquin College’s Co-op department is proud to be a contributing force in the community and continuing to offer the tools and resources they need to turn their dream into success.

For more information on hiring a co-op student for the fall, contact the Co-op Office at coop@algonquincollege.com.

 

 


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