Six reasons to hire an Asper co-op student

Our Asper students are eager to get out into their fields and contribute to the business community. Each fall more than 170 graduate and undergraduate students join our co-op program, making us one of the University of Manitoba’s largest co-operative education programs.

As an employer, you will have the opportunity to become a mentor to aspiring business students by contributing to their education outside of the classroom. Entrance to the Asper co-op program is competitive, which means your business will be hiring some of our top talent. Successful applicants will have been pre-screened and admitted to the program based on academics, professionalism and communication skills.

In a survey sent to our summer 2023 employers, 99% of supervisors would recommend an Asper co-op student to their colleagues. If that doesn’t have you convinced, we’ve curated a list of our top six reasons to hire an Asper co-op student.

1) There’s funding available

Don’t let money be a barrier in hiring an Asper co-op student. Did you know that you can apply for funding up to $7,500? The Government of Canada’s Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) even has a variety of funding opportunities to hire students for experiential learning. We have created a list of wage subsidy options for future employers.

2) No office, no problem

With the new virtual work landscape, your geographic location matters less. From Vancouver, British Columbia, to St. John’s, Newfoundland, our students can join your workspace from anywhere. While the Asper School of Business is based out of Winnipeg, many of our students are willing to work virtual or even temporarily relocate if possible.

3) They bring a new perspective

One of the benefits of new hires is that they bring a fresh perspective. At the Asper School of Business, we pride ourselves on being leaders in our industry, ensuring our students are up-to-date on industry trends. Our students don’t shy away from learning, are eager to take on new tasks, and quickly adapt to our world’s changing technology. While they can bring a variety of skillsets to your workplace, they are best known for their willingness to learn from others.

4) It’s good for business

We understand the difficulties of staffing, which has been made more difficult by the pandemic. Your hiring practices are changing, staff are adapting to a virtual work place and you need to find employees who fit with your work culture. When you hire a co-op student, your company can fill any temporary or short-term staffing gaps.

There’s also the added bonus of reducing your recruitment and training costs. If the co-op placement is a good fit for both parties, we often see employers extend a student’s term and sometimes offer them fulltime employment. This means you can skip the new employee onboarding as you’re gaining a staff member who is already familiar with your company values, culture and business.

5) We have both undergraduate and graduate students looking for co-op

Due to the success of the Bachelor of Commerce co-op program, introducing the program at the master’s level was the logical next step. Employers can now choose from students studying a BComm, MBA, Master of Finance, or Master of Supply Chain Management and Logistics, allowing organizations to find students with the skillsets and experience that suit their business.

6) You invest in the future

When you employ a student, you are helping shape the future of business. Every year, we have more than 500 BComm and master’s students graduate. They take everything they’ve learned in and outside the classroom–co-ops included–to their new workplaces.

The Asper co-op program has been around for more than 14 years, and our grads are employed around the world. It’s guaranteed that they will never forget the impact their co-op terms made on their education and professional career.

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Ready to hire an Asper co-op student? Visit our Information for Employers page to find out your next steps.

ASPER STAFF