Annual report 2025/26
Each year, we put together a report that covers everything from the number of co-op placements to student's career outcomes. We've shared the highlights below, and you can view the full report if you're looking for more detail.
You can access annual reports for past years here:
Co-op highlights
co-op placements
organizations hired co-op students
average co-op salary
in funding to support students
Where students worked
UVic co-op students completed 50.4% of work terms on Vancouver Island, 21.8% on the Lower Mainland, 10.4% throughout the rest of BC, 11.4% across the rest of Canada and 5.9% in other countries around the world.
placements on Vancouver Island
placements across the rest of BC
placements through the rest of Canada
placements outside Canada
Types of employers
1,373 employer organizations hired UVic co-op students overall.
private sector
public sector
Of the private sector employers:
- 68.5% were private businesses
- 5.5% were not-for-profit organizations
Of the public sector employers:
- 7.2% were federal government and agencies
- 17.2% were provincial government and agencies
- 1.6% were municipal government
Co-op student data
The following number of work terms were completed by students who self-identified as belonging to specific groups.
placements by Indigenous students
placements by international students
placements by students who identify as having a disability
Career support data
Our six career educators provide a range of services to students from every UVic program area, including Continuing Studies and Graduate studies.
Support includes career preparation programming, one-on-one career drop-in sessions and appointments, workshops and targeted networking and career exploration events.
In 2025/26, more than 8,866 students accessed these services.
appointments with career educators
students accessed career programming
students attended events
Community-engaged learning highlights
The Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) Office creates and supports opportunities for faculty members, students and community partners to collaborate on initiatives that advance experiential learning in curriculum courses.
students enrolled in CEL or experiential courses
departments offered CEL or experiential courses
students supported by iHUB grants
CEL funding
CEL supports faculty through internal granting programs like the Experiential Learning Fund (ELF). The team supports faculty, students, and community partners by applying for external funding.
in Experiential Learning Fund (ELF) grants
in IHUB grant money for CEL course development
Events and programming
Each year, our team facilitates events to support students and alumni as they develop their careers.
major career fairs
career workshops
employers took part in events
employer info sessions
Convocation survey
Every June and November, we survey graduating students to gather feedback about our services. This survey poses questions about students’ employment status and anticipated salaries, as well as whether students participated in co‑op and the impact of this experience on their employment status.
Career outcomes for co-op students
- 86% of co-op students said that co-op was beneficial to their career journey
- 40% of eligible students took part in co-op
- 13% of these students who graduated with a job found their position because of their co-op experience
Career outcomes for all UVic grads
- 41% of graduating students received a job offer before graduation
- 80% found career-related positions in their chosen field
- 52% received a salary of more than $60,000 a year
- 50% found work in Greater Victoria
- 27% of students had accessed Career Services during their degree
WIL in action
UVic students actively affect positive change around the globe.
From protecting coastal waterways in British Columbia to helping to accelerate the world's access to a sustainable water supply, they are changemakers to watch.
Here are some of their stories from 2025/26.
Co-op stories
Adeline Theodora (biomedical engineering)
Driven by a passion for medicine, innovation and engineering, Adeline Theodora (she/her) knew she wanted a program that checked all the boxes. The international student from Indonesia was drawn to...
Piper McWilliam (biology)
As an environmental and sustainability co-op student working with the Prince Rupert Port Authority, Piper McWilliam did everything from monitoring the presence of invasive species to looking at...
Priyanka Kahlon (biochemistry)
Priyanka (she/her) spent a full year working as a molecular biology research assistant in the Molecular Genetics Lab with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada in...
Leo Dougan (civil engineering)
Leo Dougan (he/him) is someone whose identity and lived experience guides his career focus. As a civil engineering student and an Indigenous person, he is deeply passionate about sustainable design...
Olivia Bowyer-Smyth (kinesiology)
Olivia Bowyer-Smyth (she/her) has always been fascinated by how the body moves and functions. She was drawn to UVic's kinesiology program because of its supportive learning environment....
Career stories
Yunhui Ye (political science)
When Yunhui Ye (she/her) was applying for co-op positions as part of her political science PhD, she felt like she was hitting a wall. After applying non-stop in two different terms and not booking...
Elizabeth Tzatcheva (computer science)
As a computer science student, Elizabeth Tzatcheva (she/her) is passionate about bridging the gap between technology and real-world challenges. She’s also motivated by the opportunity to...
Leigh Kowalchuk (computer science)
Leigh Kowalchuk (she/her) makes a point to check in with Career Services every semester—it’s a part of the computer science student’s career development process. After...
Community-engaged learning stories
Maeva Gauthier supports Arctic communities through participatory video and storytelling
As a recent Doctor of Philosophy graduate, Maeva Gauthier (she/her) works at the intersection of community-based research, storytelling, and environmental change. Originally from Québec,...
New podcast episodes
In 2025/26, we released season 3 of Work It, a career exploration podcast.
This podcast was developed to showcase how UVic students and alumni are bringing their passion and skills to solve real-world problems around the globe. It's a way to tell in-depth stories beyond the page and share career advice for folks at every stage of their career.
This year's episodes included:
- Interview with Fiona Wong,a UVic Law graduate with a passion for labour and employment law. She has served as President of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers, helped produce an award-winning law documentary called “But I Look Like a Lawyer”, and launched a podcast featuring Asian-Canadian lawyers.
- Ask an expert: What can you do with your degree (the steps to take and the questions to ask)
- Interview with BEng grad Matt Heywood, who pivoted from a career in engineering to launching a tutoring company to support UVic students in STEM
- Interview with mechanical engineering alumni Graeme Gordon, who ditched the oil and gas industry to transform his passion for Magic: The Gathering trading cards into a thriving business.
- Ask an expert: How to change career paths.
- Interview with Julie Claveau, a UVic physics and astronomy graduate who manages Earth Observation satellite programs and previously worked as Canada’s deputy mission manager for the James Webb Telescope.