This week is Canada’s National Co-operative Education week, and CENGN celebrated by attending the Co-op and Careers Celebration of Excellence at the University of Ottawa on the evening of March 22nd. The event took place in the Camille Villeneuve room in the Desmarais building, which is uOttawa’s school of business. During the event, awards were distributed for Co-op student of the year, employer of the year and co-op student volunteer award for 2016.

Networking for Success

The event was a great networking opportunity, as students looking for employment were able to meet with potential employers, many of which are interested in hiring co-op students or recent graduates. They were also able to chat with other co-op students and hear about their experiences, which is a great opportunity for students who are exploring what direction they want to take for their next co-op term. Two of CENGN’s own engineering students, Sonali Chandna and Alfredo Herrera, attended the event along with CENGN Student Program Coordinator, Randy Elias, and Nathalie Guthrie, CENGN’s Human Resources and Recruiting Manager. It was also a chance for Randy and Nathalie to meet other co-op students who have an interest in next generation networks or working in the ICT sector.

Why CENGN Loves Co-op Programs

CENGN places great value on the student co-op program, as it is a great way to hire students that have skills and interest pertaining to CENGN’s different student positions, like marketing, engineering and project management. The co-op program also helps CENGN with one of our key objectives, which is to train students and to help them build the skills and knowledge that they need to enter the workforce in the technology and ICT sector. Events like this one can also give CENGN staff worthwhile insights about things they can do to further improve their student program and make sure that the students have a meaningful co-op experience.

Looking Forward

CENGN loves attending events like these, where there are valuable networking experiences both for students and permanent staff. As a student-oriented company, it was also an occasion for CENGN to celebrate the accomplishments of the award recipients and hear about what made their co-op experiences so excellent. CENGN is looking forward to continuing to grow and improve their student program. We’re proud to be one of the many Canadian companies celebrating the national co-operative education week.

Interested in learning about Co-op opportunities? Click Here
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About the Author

CENGN, Canada’s Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks, drives technology innovation and industry growth through our testbed, technical expertise, talent development, and partner ecosystem. Through our projects, CENGN enables small and medium Canadian Enterprises to test and validate promising technologies, removing barriers to product commercialization and accelerating market growth.

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