Looking back at the past year our Co-op Program has undergone some major changes. In addition to growing larger than ever before, co-op has made several improvements which benefit students and employers. Some of these include:

• CAFCE Accreditation
• Simplified Terms and Conditions
• More Conservation jobs
• Co-op forms moved online
• Revamped website
• Redesigned Co-op Workshops
• Improved reporting structures
• Student and employer testimonials
• New Co-op Handbook
• Revised work term debriefings
• New international work terms 
• And this newsletter!

Feedback from co-op students
Co-op students and employers have been noticing the improvements being made to the Co-op Program. Assembled below is a selection of the feedback received over the course of the past year:

Seated in the back of a pick-up truck riding through South Africa’s Groote Karoo I find myself reflecting on my experience as part of the UBC Faculty of Forestry Co-op Program. The Karoo region we are traveling through, a semi desert ecosystem with no commercial forestry industry, receives less than 75 mm of rain annually. Seated next to me is an elder Karoo farmer named Godfrey who is accustomed to our bumpy travel arrangements and has no visible concern for being knocked off the back of the truck. As we make our way down the road Godfrey asks me, in broken English, “tell me again why you are here“?

I have encountered this question many times throughout my 5 co-op work terms. My first attempts at answering this question felt foreign and missed the mark. As an eager but naïve second year student in my first co-op work term in Uganda, I responded by saying “I was there as a co-op student to help “. I now see that response was not entirely accurate. While it was true that I would contribute to the projects we were working on, I would in fact receive most of the help.

I started the Co-op Program not fully knowing what career I wanted to pursue. While my plans may remain in flux, thanks to co-op I know a lot more about myself and about the direction I will take in my career. Co-op allowed me to identify my professional interests and gain work experience that has challenged my beliefs and taken me out of my comfort zone. Co-op exposed me to a wide array of jobs, from industrial forestry to research and reclamation, and helped to broaden my horizons. Since joining the Program I worked in 4 different countries, 2 of which were opportunities I developed by approaching new employers as part of my independent job search.

The Co-op Program turned my Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Conservation into a professional degree with the practical experience required to secure career related employment after graduation. With more than 22 months of relevant work experience I can approach the job market with a CV that stands out against most recent grads. The Co-op Program held my hand when I started job hunting and helped me to more succinctly express what I can offer employers.

One of the reservations I had when deciding whether or not to enrol in the Co-op Program was extending my degree by a year. I was in a hurry to graduate and get out into the real world. Luckily I made the choice to join co-op and benefited from the relationships they develop with other universities and employers around the world and across the country. Paying student fees, attending classes and gaining theoretical knowledge is only part of the experience university has to offer. You can never participate in everything but for me the Co-op Program became my extra-curricular involvement. The Program allowed me to engage with communities, be an ambassador for UBC, and take part in international projects that facilitated my professional growth.

Thinking back to that bumpy ride across Groote Karoo with Godfrey, I feel better equipped to respond to his question about my purpose in South Africa. As we continued down that endless farm road we passed many wind turbines pumping water from underground reservoirs through boreholes. This age-old process is integral to the survival of Karoo farmers under extreme drought. But the “winds were changing” according to Godfrey. He explained that prospectors have recently been visiting the Karoo and discussing the potential for fracking and natural gas development in the region. This conversation exposed to me to the dichotomy of economic development and the risk of destroying the essential natural resources on which farmers like Godfrey are dependent.

In the end I am in South Africa to gain exposure to land use conflicts, to listen to differing perspectives and, most of all, to learn how to meaningfully engage with various stakeholders. My academic training in Natural Resources Management has provided me with the theory but my co-op work terms have exposed me to real world examples of resource and land use conflicts; which is undoubtedly the biggest advantage of my 5 year journey.
 
UBC Faculty of Forestry Co-op graduate Khalil Walji 

Winter work term numbers
January to May 2015 

• Students available to work:
  • 9 Conservation
  • 25 Wood 
  • 2 Forestry
  • 36 Total
• Students hired: 23
  •  23 of 36 or 64% Employed
• International Work Terms: 4
  • 2 South Africa
  • 1 Germany
  • 1 Australia

Build your resume by volunteering
With the job search about to start for the Summer 2015 work term, it is important to plan ahead. Make sure you have at least one reference from Canada and volunteer experience on your resume. Volunteer opportunities are available for the Co-op Presentation Nights. From the reception table to set-up and take down - co-op students will play an active role in hosting these important events. Contact your Co-op Coordinator today to find out how you can help.
 

What will employers ask?
With mock-interview sessions having wrapped-up for new co-op students, it's time to prepare for job interviews. One of the key techniques that everyone can benefit from practicing is the START technique. 

Download these sample interview questions and practice, practice, practice! 
 

Information Session
The Great Basin Institute, an interdisciplinary field studies organization that promotes environmental research, education, and conservation, will be on campus to meet with co-op students in Conservation and Forestry. Jerry Keir, Director of GBI, will give a presentation about the learning opportunities available to co-op students and give more information about the work being done by GBI to advance ecological literacy and habitat restoration.

• Monday, January 26, 2:00-3:00
• Email invitations will go out in January