Teck named 2013 UVic Co-op Employer of the Year

It takes a very special co-op employer to stand out from the nearly 1,000 employer organizations that hired UVic co-op students in 2013, since each and every organization has provided outstanding learning opportunities to our amazing co-op students. So it’s with great excitement that Co-op and Career has named Teck, Canada’s largest diversified resource company, as our 2013 UVic Co-op Employer of the Year.

Teck has hired an impressive 105 engineering and computer science/math co-op students in the past three years alone, welcoming students at every stage of their academic studies, from first year to graduating students. The company prides itself on providing mentorship; students are placed within a team that includes a lead engineer and engineers-in-training—everyone contributes to ongoing feedback and a holistic approach to learning. 

“Teck is passionate about mentoring students by providing dynamic co-op experiences and having a consistent presence on campus at career fairs and info sessions,” says Duncan Hogg, Engineering and Computer Science/Math co-op coordinator. “It’s not surprising that a co-op position at Teck is highly regarded by our students.”

The company has also supported experiential learning right here on campus. As a sponsor of UVic’s student-run Formula SAE team since 2011, Teck has given the team the resources to design and build open-wheel race cars that are submitted to the Formula SAE design series each year.

Within the company, Teck has hired students to work on projects as diverse as increasing the reliability and maintenance of haul trucks, to supporting real-time critical information systems. Students have worked at Teck’s operations across British Columbia, including Highland Valley Copper in Logan Lake, the Trail metallurgical complex, and at its steelmaking coal operations in the Elk Valley.

“Across the board, Teck has enhanced student learning,” says Norah McRae, executive director of Co-op and Career. “Students reflect on their competency development as part of their work term experience, and regardless of their projects at Teck, they consistently identify teamwork and communication as key competencies valued by the company—these line up perfectly with the skills we encourage students to develop. Teck is also notable for its commitment to communities—we are proud to call Teck a partner in education.”

Teck was formally recognized at Co-op and Career’s Employer Appreciation Reception on February 25.