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Career Services

Virtual Employer Symposium

 October 14th to 17th, 2025

Building Tomorrow's Workforce: Trends & Best Practices in Navigating New Talent

As a valued member of the UVic employer network, you're invited to a free, four-day online symposium from October 14 to 17th 2025, where you can pick and choose from a variety of sessions hosted by UVic Co-op and Career Services staff. This event is our way of saying thank you, while giving you insights to help shape the future of work. 

Highlights include: 

  • A Keynote by Stephanie Cadieux, Canada's first Chief Accessibility Officer, on workplace accessibility. 
  • Data-driven tips for job postings that attract top student talent. 
  • Hiring practices for international, Indigenous, and new graduate employees. 
  • The role of AI in recruitment and career readiness. 
  • And more!

Who should join? 
If you're an employer who hires co-op students or recent graduates, this is for you; learn how to turn your student hiring programs into a powerful pipeline for future talent. 

Register for the Employer Symposium

Event Program

Session information.  To access zoom links please register!
Time Session Title Session Description
Tuesday October 14, 2025
10AM  - 11AM PST Keynote: Questions and Accessibility (Q&A) conversation with Canada's Chief Accessibility Officer A conversational Questions and Accessibility (Q&A) conversation between the Chief Accessibility Officer Ms. Stephanie Cadieux and our own Accessibility and Inclusion Coordinator. This conversation provides practical and insightful tips and tricks to increase workplace inclusion and accessibility for organizations of all sizes.
12PM - 1PM PST How to Hire a UVic Co-op Student: Overview, Funding, Timelines, and Employer Benefits Thinking about hiring a University of Victoria co-op student but unsure how to begin?

Each year, over 3,500 UVic co-op students contribute to workplaces across sectors, offering a flexible and cost-effective way to meet your business needs. Whether you're navigating seasonal shifts or tackling long-term goals, students from diverse academic backgrounds — spanning tech, science, business, communications, and more — are ready to help.

Our Employment Development Officers will walk you through the steps to hire a UVic co-op student including key timelines and application tips. They will be joined by a representative from the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC), a Federal SWPP funding partner, to share insights on how their wage subsidy program can support your hiring goals in 2026.

Co-op students bring fresh ideas, enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn. They can support your daily operations or take on a specific project that’s been waiting for an extra set of hands. Discover how hiring a student can benefit your team — and how you can play a meaningful role in their professional journey.

Presented by Morgan Filliol, Tara Coulter, and Christine Bobyn, Employment Development Officers at the University of Victoria, with special guest Dave Murray (he/him), Senior Advisor, Industry and Ecosystem Engagement at ICTC.
2PM - 2:30PM PST Spectrum of Engagement in Community Engaged Learning In this 20-minute presentation we will share how community engaged learning (CEL) differs from other forms of experiential learning such as Co-op and Work Integrated Learning (WIL). Presenters will share the purpose, ethics/philosophy and spectrum of engagement with community partners (20 minutes, 10 minutes for presentation, 10 minutes for questions).
Wednesday October 15, 2025
9AM - 10AM PST Supporting Students' Career Readiness through Curriculum In this presentation, we will describe several curriculum initiatives across Co-op & Career that support students to graduate career-ready. We will highlight our competency assessment process on the Co-op & Career portal and the centralized curriculum we offer through the Career Services website. We will also showcase two Brightspace courses that we offer: the Introduction to Professional Practice, our preparation course for all co-op students and Your Career Starts Here, our new careers course for undergraduate and graduate students.
11AM - 12PM PST Strengthening Recruitment and Retention with the Indigenous WIL Resource Hub This session introduces employers to the Indigenous Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Resource Hub and highlights best practices for hiring and retaining Indigenous students. Participants will gain practical strategies, tools, and cultural insights to build stronger, more inclusive recruitment and retention practices that support Indigenous student success.
2PM - 3PM PST Hiring Smarter: Insights from our co-op data What does the data tell us about attracting student talent from UVic? In this session, we'll share key insights from the University of Victoria’s co-op program on factors that drive student engagement and what that means for employers looking to optimize their hiring strategies. Learn when students are available and most active in their job search, which jobs capture attention, and how to make the most of postings.
Thursday October 16, 2025
9AM - 10AM PST AI and The Future of Hiring: What employers Need to Know This presentation explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping hiring and the future of work. From the role of AI in cover letters and online interviews, to its impact on entry-level positions, workforce demographics, and the skills employers now value most, we’ll examine both the challenges and opportunities AI brings. We’ll also discuss how AI is transforming workplace tools, why adaptability and people skills matter more than ever, and how employers can connect with universities and co-op programs to build a future-ready workforce.
11AM - 12PM PST What are you missing out on when not actively hiring Students from International Pathways (SFIP)? Join us for this session and hear from employers spanning from the non-profit to a multinational corporation on how they actively recruit students from International Pathways and the benefits they receive as a team and company as many of these students’ knowledge and expertise provide a culture add to ultimately better serve their clientele and business outreach. We will also provide tangible strategies on how you can better integrate equitable hiring practices in your organization including the ACE-WIL Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit for employers to attract, hire and onboard SFIP.
2PM - 3PM PST Employer Panel: Inclusion at Work: Practical Ideas from Accessible Employers Join the Accessibility and Inclusion Coordinator for an engaging panel conversation on what strategies accessible employers use to ensure inclusive and accessible representation of the community they serve.
Friday October 17, 2025
11AM - 12PM PST Best Practices for Hiring Recent Graduates In this presentation, Career Educator, Joy Andrews, will discuss best practices in attracting and retaining skilled and talented recent graduates. From posting the job to selecting your chosen candidate, she'll share strategies to help you become an employer of choice. You'll have an opportunity to assess your practices including strategies to engage with students prior to graduation that help you connect with today's new grads.