University of Waterloo co-op students struggle to find placements as pandemic dries up opportunities

The employment rate for spring co-op students at the University of Waterloo is sitting at 68 per cent right now, down from about 88 per cent in non-pandemic times, the university says.

Right now, there are 5,000 UW co-op students working. At this time last year, there were 6,800, a spokesperson said in a statement.

"[It's] unprecedented," said Norah McRae, the university's associate provost for co-operative and experiential education.

The university's co-op program allows students to alternate study terms and work terms with the goal of graduating with up to two years of paid work experience.

It's a big deal at the university. About 72 per cent of the university's student body takes part in the co-op program, McRae said.

But as employers scramble to move their operations online, McRae said many simply don't have the capacity to onboard a co-op student.

Others are struggling with tough economic conditions and are starting to lay employees off — they aren't hiring new ones, she said. 

"There's been such a fundamental sea change ... that's different than the last recession that we had in 2008, where it's been much more dramatic," said McRae, who noted that travel restrictions and border closures have also affected international jobs.

'Wild year'

Prithika Hariharan, who is studying management engineering, said she secured a job in Georgia for the summer and was let go about a week later due to the pandemic.

Eventually, she found a second job with an entrepreneurship program through the University of Waterloo business school and is now working remotely.

"In a couple weeks, I'm going to start applying for winter 2021 jobs, because I don't want to be in the same position that I was in this term," said Hariharan, who said she ultimately applied to more than 300 jobs to get her current gig.

Kinesiology student Terrance Zhang was first laid off from a winter co-op job with a Toronto construction company when the provincial state of emergency was declared.

Then, his spring co-op job with a local municipality was at first delayed and then cancelled altogether.

"2020 has been a wild year," said Zhang, who had planned to study abroad this fall and expects that experience to be cancelled, too.  

University offers 'flexible pathways'

The university is making changes so that students can still meet the program requirements. 

Shorter work terms, a combination of multiple part-time jobs and certain jobs paid by stipends or honorariums are currently allowed. Students are allowed to start terms later, and if they can't find anything, can complete one less co-op term without affecting their academic standing. 

Using federal wage subsidy money, the university has also hired about 300 students for campus jobs, often helping faculty move their classes online, McRae said.  

Megan Town, a vice-president with the Waterloo Undergraduate Students' Association, said many are disappointed about the loss of a normal co-op term, and have financial concerns about paying for tuition if they'd counted on working full-time this summer. 

Still, she said, "I think [the university] has done just about everything that could be reasonably expected."

Fall postings on the decline

This spring's unusual co-op term may not be a one-time thing. Already, there are fewer co-op postings available for the fall term than there would normally be, McRae said.

And with a possible recession looming on the horizon, McRae said the pandemic could have a long-term impact on the co-op program.

"Often the way the economy goes is the way the co-op program goes," she said. "There will be some industries that are just fine and will do OK. Then there's some that are going to be not so fine and we will need to adjust our programming."

Still, McRae said she thinks the experience students gain in the workplace and while searching for jobs will prepare them for the post-grad job search, no matter what state the economy is in at the time.  

Zhang and Hariharan say they agree.

"I think with my previous experience it will give me an edge in finding a job after graduation," said Zhang.

"I am confident that if you're able to just be super persistent … you should be able to do pretty well," said Hariharan.