MBiz

14 MBiz | june 2017 E mployers who pursue top talent from the I.H. Asper School of Business are gaining a competitive edge through the Asper Co- operative Education Program. Established in 2006, the program gives employers an opportunity to recruit and "test-drive" highly motivated students who consistently excel during their four- month work placements. "Approximately 80 per cent of our students will end up with their first career job post-graduation with one of their previous co-op employers, so it's a great recruitment and retention tool for employers," says Kelly Mahoney, director of the Asper Career Development Centre. "You can bring them in for a four-month period and assess the skill set, the aptitude, personality fit with your team … and then if you like them you certainly have the opportunity to invite them to work full-time or do another placement." Mahoney says 96 per cent of employers who participate in the program say they would hire their co-op student if given the opportunity, and 99.6 per cent would recommend the co-op program to other employers, who may be eligible for a tax credit that covers 15 per cent of the student salaries. The benefits run both ways. Students compete for paid work placements that are meaningful and relevant to their field of study. Starting at the end of their second year of university, they have three four-month co-op placements over the following two years. They're exposed to different workplace cultures and management styles and they're able to apply their academic training in hands- on roles that contribute to the employer's bottom line. The employment rate for graduates last year was 100 per cent, and with a full year of job experience under their belts, students have a better understanding of the type of work and workplace environment that suits them, a factor that may contribute to higher retention rates for their employers. Each year, participants are invited to nominate a Co-op Student of the Year and a Co-op Employer of the Year. International student Liying (Jenny) Peng won the 2016 Student of the Year Award following her first co-op placement with Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods last summer. Peng, who is majoring in Accounting and Management Information Systems, completed two projects — testing a new online store and rewriting a financial reporting package — with a degree of independence and professionalism the company would expect from a full- time employee. "It's almost the first time in my life that someone put so much faith in me and delegated really high level work for me," Peng says. "I think I was lucky — however, I also think I did an exceptional performance." Peng has since completed a second co-op placement with Investors Group, and her Competitive edge Asper Co-operative Education Program

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