The Cameco Business Co-operative Education Program (BCEP)

To integrate classroom instruction with real life work situations, the school successfully launched a co-operative education program in September 2007. Third year undergraduate business students in all majors are eligible to participate. Employers from small businesses to large corporations will benefit from a business co-op experience!

Students who enrol in a co-operative education program benefit from full-time paid work experience ranging from four to eight months in the private or public sector.  Co-operative education contributes to the student’s educational experience and improves employability upon graduation.

Thanks to a $250,000 donation from Cameco Corporation to help the program grow, 38 students completed their work terms this past September and 58 new students are looking for work placements for January 2010.

“We are delighted to have partnered with the University of Saskatchewan on a number of initiatives, the most recent being the Edwards School of Business and the Business Co-operative Education Program,” said Rita Mirwald, senior vice-president of corporate services for Cameco Corporation, whose company was one of the program’s first co-op employers. “Cameco Corporation worked with three students during the pilot program and we were very impressed by their high calibre of education and professionalism.”

The Canadian Association for Co-operative Education (CAFCE) asserts that “co-op students can gain an enriched understanding of their academic programs through practical application.  The co-op experience can motivate students to further their education as well as lead to relevant employment after graduation.”

Goodspeed Career Services wishes to thank the U of A School of Business, the U of C Haskayne School of Business, the U of M Asper School of Business, the U of R Co-operative Education Program and the UBC Sauder School of Business for their support, content and expertise in the development of the Edwards School of Business Co-operative Education Program.