Studies conducted by AOFP have found that there is a significant challenge in recruiting and retaining top talent in the food and beverage processing industry. Taking advantage of co-operative education programs offered through colleges and universities is one way that progressive, forward-thinking companies are addressing that challenge.
Benefits to employers who hire co-op students are numerous, and even address the company’s bottom line – a tax credit worth up to $3000 per student per co-op work term. But the advantages to hiring a co-op student are much broader than subsidized wages.
“The food industry is very specialized,” says Scott Oliver, vice president of quality at Protenergy Natural Foods Corporation in Richmond Hill. “We need employees with specialized training who can come in and talk a technical language.” Oliver’s company has hired more than 10 co-op students from the University of Guelph’s food science program over the past two years, and he is enthusiastic about the benefits of having students working in his plant.
“The students we have hired have been very eager, very intent on their learning objectives. They expand upon what they have learned in the classroom to real life experience,” says Oliver. Words he used to describe the students include tremendously hard working and bright. “I would consider permanently hiring every one of them.”
While many colleges and universities offer co-operative education programs, specialized programs at the University of Guelph and the Institute of Food Processing Technology (IFPT) at Conestoga College in Cambridge offer co-op students with specific training in the food industry. They also go through job-readiness training in their classroom studies to prepare them for the workforce.
The IFPT focuses on the technical skills that employers in the food industry are seeking – students in the Food Processing Technician program are taking courses on industrial maintenance, drawings and schematics, machine technology, pumps, valves, motor controls and PLC’s, as well as an introduction to food science, food processing methods, and an overview of principles of food manufacturing. This 16 month course includes a 4 month co-op work term.
“Industry told us they needed trained individuals to work in positions such as machine operators and maintenance,” says Luis Garcia, Chair of IFPT. “The in-class training and co-op experience offered by the IFPT will produce qualified graduates ready for employment in the industry.”
Students also benefit from their co-op placements. They get real, hand-on experiences in their chosen field, as well as building personal contacts and references in the industry. Many go on to full time employment with their co-op employers after graduation. Their real life experience helps them excel in the classroom, and the money they earn on co-op work terms helps to fund their education.
Camille Schniffer, a student in her final year of studies in the food science program at the University of Guelph, speaks very highly of her co-op experiences, including Maple Leaf Foods, Kerr Brothers Limited and the Canadian Space Agency, where she assisted with the Canadian food items selection for the astronauts working on the International Space Station.
Schniffer is passionate about her chosen career path. “I love food and I love science so naturally food science was a perfect way to combine my two interests. People will always need to eat making the food industry one that will never go out of business. Food trends are rapidly changing making it an exciting industry to be in.” Her goal is to work in product development in the confectionary or cereals and grains industry. She believes that her co-op work terms have helped to make her a better student and a better employee. “ I am able to take what I learn from textbooks and labs and actually apply that knowledge to problems or situations that arise in the work place.”
Want to know more about hiring a co-op student?
The Institute of Food Processing Technology at Conestoga College in Cambridge, Ontario, and the University of Guelph offer co-op education opportunities specific to the food industry, as well as from various other programs – everything from engineering to accounting to graphic design – offering students with the education and skills to help your business. Many other colleges and universities offer co-op programs as well.
Students are required to complete work term agreements and work term reports. Supervisors must provide a written evaluation at the end of each term. In most cases, co-operative education staff will visit the co-op placement mid-term (where feasible) and assist with any potential conflict or issues that arise during the placement.
Students are encouraged to be flexible in terms of location of work, hours of work, and the types of jobs and work environments offered. University of Guelph students have even gone overseas for work terms – the possibilities are endless.
IFPT co-op students
The IFPT offers a 2-year diploma Food Processing Technician, which includes a 4 month (450 hour) co-op placement. In preparation for their co-op terms, students complete a course in Co-op and Career Preparation and receive ongoing support from staff to ensure they are prepared for a work placement.
Co-op and Career Services staff at Conestoga College are available to help companies interested in hiring co-op students through every step of the process. They promote job opportunities through their dedicated My Career website, resume referral, offering interview space on campus, employer showcases, and job fairs. They can also provide on-campus interview space. For more information, contact Tina Allishaw at tallishaw@conestogac.on.ca.
University of Guelph co-op students
Student entering into the co-operative education program at the University of Guelph have a higher entrance requirement, and must maintain a high standard of academic excellence to stay in the program – which means that the brightest, best, and most dedicated students are involved. They complete an Introduction to Co-op course prior to their first work term. Work terms are 4 months (350 hours), and a student will complete 2-4 terms. Some work terms can be extended to 8 or 12 months, which give employers greater flexibility to hire students for extended projects.
For more information, contact Andrew Kramer, akramer@uoguelph.ca
