We were recently approached by Rachael Wright, Coordinator of Student, Graduate and Co-op Employment at Okanagan College's Kelowna campus to talk about Allnorth's involvement in the College's Co-op Program. Morgan Upton, Civil Designer and co-op participant, and Brandon Wright, our Kelowna office Division Manager, were happy to contribute their thoughts on the program's success.
What has been your greatest achievement in your co-op work term?
The gradually increasing complexity of technical tasks and scope of work that has been assigned to me during my work term and into full-time employment at Allnorth is a fulfilling achievement. The continuous confidence the team at Allnorth has put in me since I started my first co-op work term is encouraging that I will continue to achieve my career goals.
What are some of the valuable skills you have learned during your co-op work term?
During my co-op work term, I was pushed to learn new hard and soft skills. I had increasingly difficult Civil3D tasks that I had to learn quickly throughout my work terms but also learned the importance of communication. Engineering is a team effort so communication between all involved is important. My co-op work term pushed me to ask the right questions of the right people.
What did you enjoy the most while working at Allnorth during your co-op term?
The Allnorth team involved me in different jobs and was able to show me unique aspects of civil engineering. The variety of work assigned to me was exciting and made going to work enjoyable.
What are you most excited about now starting your professional career at Allnorth?
The relationship I’ve created with Allnorth starting as a student, working two co-op terms, and gaining full-time employment is invaluable. I’m excited about future opportunities and new skills I’ll learn along the way.
What interested you in hiring an Okanagan College Co-op Student?
Allnorth seeks co-op students from the Okanagan College because they are well prepared for the workplace and able to provide immediate value to our clients and team members alike based on the comprehensive training they’ve received.
What do you value the most in terms of skill set and abilities when selecting a co-op student for either a summer work term or post-graduate employment opportunity?
The training co-op students receive from the Okanagan College is applicable to the work we are performing at Allnorth. The advanced technical skillset amongst co-op students from the Okanagan College is noticeable compared to co-op students from other institutions.
What are the benefits you feel you gained as an employer by hiring a co-op student?
Hiring local talent is important to Allnorth. When hiring a co-op student from the Okanagan College, Allnorth is often hiring someone who grew up in Kelowna or is familiar with the City of Kelowna and the clients we do business with.
Allnorth believes that co-op programs provide meaningful avenues to potential job opportunities available to graduates from the Okanagan College here in the Okanagan Valley.
What do you believe makes an Okanagan College student stand out?
Preparedness. The Okanagan College does a great job of providing hands-on work experience to its students. When we interview applicants for co-op positions, Okanagan College students stand apart from those from other institutions due to the comprehensive training they’ve received. Okanagan College students are confident, prepared, and able to integrate well within existing teams based on their skills and abilities.
Original Okanagan College social media links:
Okanagan College - Student, Graduate and Co-op Employment Centre - Home | Facebook
Okanagan College Student, Graduate and Co-Op Employment Centre | LinkedIn
Okanagan College Co-Op (@oc_coop) • Instagram photos and videos