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Co-operative Education

Partnerships

Our Co-op and Career team is creating new opportunities for co-op students and graduates by partnering with post-secondaries and industry.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Project

We strive to continuously improve our programming and support for employers, students, and graduates:

  • In 2021, a collaboration between the Co-operative and Work-Integrated Learning Initiative (COWIL), UVic’s Engineering and Computer Science Co-op and the Canadian Technology Supercluster explored the digital technology gap. This project highlighted the rising importance of DEI in the workplace.
  • In 2022, a follow-up project was created and supported by residual funding from COWIL and private Foundation funding to explore how technology can support the advancement of  DEI in the workplace. This included a literature review and a survey of co-op students and co-op employers on the importance of DEI in the workplace.
  • In 2023, a small number of co-op employers were selected to pilot BeApplied (a software platform that focuses on de-biasing the recruitment process) and Diversio (a platform that collects baseline diversity and inclusion data with the goal to identify gaps and provide support for improvement). This pilot project provides employers with the opportunity to explore how software can support the development of their diversity, equity and inclusion strategies. 

View the DEI project interim report.

Digital Technology Supercluster

UVic worked with Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster to address the digital skills gap related to equity, diversity and inclusion in sectors that involve engineering and computer science students. 

Project summary

Thank you to all students, employers and industry members who participated. The insights you shared will inform how post-secondary institutions and industry build and improve digital skill development.

Babcock Canada Indigenous Student Grant

Babcock Canada has been an ongoing and regular supporter of the UVic Co-op Program. They also work closely with UVic's Faculty of Engineering.

Babcock supports the educational and career development of Indigenous engineering students through a four-month paid co-op placement called the Babcock Canada Indigenous Student Grant. This grant includes financial support as well as formal mentorship with a leader from Babcock’s team.