Success stories
Camosun students work toward a healthier world
Camosun Environmental Technology co-op students Erin Sanderson and Mitch Brost recently travelled to India to complete a work term volunteering with Fertile Ground, a non- governmental organization which provides training and resources to farmers and small-scale tea growers in the state of Assam. In the program, volunteers participate in outreach activities to promote healthy food production, and share their knowledge with farmers and tea growers as well as teachers, students and families living in the state. Read more...
Co-op grad pursues his two loves: basketball and software development
Co-op grad Brandon Ellis loves basketball. Newly out of high school Ellis followed his dream and received a scholarship to play basketball and study at UBC. Despite his long-time interest in computer software, Ellis chose to pursue a BA in economics because the workload was more compatible with his heavy basketball schedule. Two years later Ellis was hit by a bus and sustained a serious ankle injury, putting his basketball career on hold. Soon after, he picked up a sport scholarship with UVic and there he completed his BA in economics and, after graduation, he got to spend a season playing professional basketball with the Duesseldorf Magics in Germany. Read more...
Ooo la la! Hospitality Management student with Disney, Paris
Erica Parsons is one of nine second year students from Camosun’s hospitality management program who participated in a student exchange program through a Disney/Camosun partnership this year. The students spent two weeks at the University of California, Riverside for orientation prior to beginning their six month program at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Read more...
Blue skies for CO-OP students at NeverBlue
Tessa Goodwin had her mind set on completing a co-op work term with Neverblue, an affiliate marketing company in Victoria, before graduating from Camosun with her Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing Communications Management.
“As a young, local and dynamic organization, Neverblue really appealed to me,” says Goodwin. She made a conscious effort to secure a position with Neverblue by networking at the career fair and conducting an information interview with the marketing manager. Her efforts were rewarded when she was offered a position as a compliance and quality assurance assistant. Read more...
Student Employment lends a helping hand...
As a high school graduate, Lise Mino was undecided as to what she wanted to pursue career wise. With a real interest in the beauty industry, she gravitated towards work as an esthetician and hair stylist. For several years Mino enjoyed working in this field, but gradually came to realize that she was looking for something more. She registered at Camosun College with a view to upgrading her math to enable her to pursue university transfer courses on a part time basis while continuing to work. This educational path was interrupted when Mino moved to New Zealand for a few years. Read More...
Award winning co-op student...
Brie Ansell began her career as a finishing carpenter and although she enjoyed the work, after a few years she began to recognize the physical toll the work took on her body. Due to her long time interest in environmental science, Ansell investigated the possibility of returning to school to explore that avenue. Upon discovering the Environmental Technology program at Camosun, she knew that was the program for her and made the move from Kelowna to Victoria. Ansell, who has now completed her Environmental Technology diploma with an internship option, has been widely recognized for her co-operative education accomplishments. Not only did she receive the provincial Co-op Student of the Year Award at the college level, she also received an honourable mention nationally from the Canadian Association for Co-operative Education. Read more...
Graduates giving back
James Puritch, VP Research and Development at Reliable Controls in Victoria, can identify with being a co-op student and wanting to get the best hands-on experience possible. A graduate of Camosun College and the University of Victoria, Puritch understands the value of co-op education. He was fortunate to have that co-op experience at Reliable Controls as their first ever co-op student. He did three work terms there and never left! Read more...
Students check out “Living Library” for government job insights
Students interested in working for the BC government researched employment insights directly from ten "living books" - actual BC government employers from a variety of ministries. The employers allowed Camosun students to borrow them for 20 minute-sessions, where they could have a private conversation about real-life work experience and paths to employment with the BC government. Read more...
Temporary move leads to career advancement
Bethany Helmink began her post secondary education by studying history at Camosun in 2008.She quickly realized that working with people and in management was more in line with her interests and switched to the Bachelor of Human Resources and Leadership degree program. Helmink signed up for co-operative education, and applied for a work term through the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP). She was offered a position as a Youth Service Officer with Service Canada Centre for Youth in Woodstock, Ontario, and she decided to take the job. Read more...
Spices, psychology and human resource management
What do spices, psychology and human resource management have in common? Co-op student Tristan Steward! Steward began his post secondary education with a bachelor's degree in psychology from Carlton University in Ottawa, and upon completion of his degree quickly came to understand the importance of having experience to go along with education. Following a move to Victoria to be closer to his brother, Steward developed an interest in human resources, and when he discovered that Camosun offered a co-op option in the HR program, he was sold! Read more...
A graduate’s tale
Gieliam de Beer, a recent graduate of the Computer Systems Technology diploma program at Camosun College, began life in South Africa and moved to Canada as a teenager. He attended school in Vancouver, and following graduation from high school completed a diploma in information technology at Capilano College. From there, de Beer began his career working for Vancouver Coastal Health. Curious to know what Victoria had to offer, de Beer decided to further his education and enrolled in the Computer Systems Technology program. Read more...
A whale of a summer job
David Roberts, sales and operations manager with the Prince of Whales whale watching company in Victoria hires approximately 20 staff per season and aims to hire as many co-op education students as he can—this year six co-op students are gaining valuable work experience in the eco-tourism industry with the Prince of Whales. Read more...
From waste to want
Environmental technology student shines at the CRD
Danielle Bassett , a third year environmental technology student at Camosun College, happily completed two co-op work terms as an operations assistant at the Capital Regional District (CRD) in 2009, and she continues to work with the CRD on a part time basis. Read more...
Camosun takes provincial co-op award again
For the third consecutive year, a Camosun College student has been awarded the provincial Co-op Student of the Year award at the college level. Read more...
Taking the plunge...
Stuart McCormick made some major changes in his life in 2008! Working as a plumber in the construction industry in Vancouver paid the bills, but it didn’t allow McCormick to fulfill his passion for professional sport. McCormick decided to pursue that passion and enrolled in the Sport Management diploma program at Camosun. Read more...
Accounting for the burial park
Paul Taylor, CGA, and office manager at McCall Bros. hires a Camosun co-op student each year from the accounting program to assist with the busy fiscal year end as well as to carry on with day- to- day accounting procedures when Taylor takes a well deserved vacation. “As the only accountant, having a co-op student step in to take care of the day to day accounting work in your absence avoids returning to a huge backlog,” says Taylor. Read more...
Keeping our society crystal clear
Krystle Cummings, an internship student in the associate degree program at Camosun College gains work experience at the Crystal Meth Society of BC. Read more…
A great experience
Sport Management students head to Beijing, China
In early May, nine students from the Sport Management program (Centre for Sport and Exercise Education) at Camosun left for Beijing, China to participate in an international internship experience in partnership with the Tsinghua University in Beijing. Read about their adventure...
BC Co-op Student of the Year!
Camosun students win second year in a row
Third-year environmental technology student Jennifer Le Mercier is the 2008 Co-op Student of the Year awarded by the Association for Co-operative Education of British Columbia/Yukon. The prestigious annual award is based on the student’s achievement on the work term, academics, and on contributions to co-operative education and the community. Read more...
Co-op students. First, best stop for recruiting workers
The Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, a 477 room hotel and one of 120 Fairmont hotels worldwide, hires co-op students from the Hotel and Restaurant Management (HMGT) program at Camosun on a regular basis; optimally two every year. Over the years many of these students have gone on to work for Fairmont hotels after graduation and now hold management positions. Read more...
Camosun recognizes local business
International student represents Camosun in Beijing
A Prescription for Success
When Tingzhi Liu left her home in AnHui, a small province near Shanghai, she never dreamt that she would arrive in Beijing six years later as a student ambassador for Camosun College. Read Tingzhi's story...
Environmental Technology co-op student spreads seeds of knowledge
Environmental concerns weigh heavily on Kaylin Henry’s mind. These concerns drew Henry to Camosun’s Environmental Technology program, which provides practical and hands on experience in environmental management with a strong academic science background. Read more...
Extreme Co-op: from mild Victoria to freezing Hay River
Second year Civil Engineering student, Niall McPherson, completed his second work term in an extreme climate! McPherson spent ten very chilly weeks in Hay River, Northwest Territories working for the Department of Transportation, enduring an average temperature of -30º C (down to -65º C with the wind chill factor). Read more...
Back for a third work term with the DND
Kylee Lothrop, a co-op student in the Electronics Engineering Technology program at Camosun College, is currently on her third work term with the Department of National Defence, Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton. Read more...
Technical Help Times Two 
ExcelSystems Software Development Inc. (ESDI) hired Sacha Cooper, a Computer Systems Technology co-op program student, to help with a major redesign of their public website. Read more...
Sparking a Career
Mike Soloducha had never given a thought to understanding wildfire behaviour in BC. However, as a Camosun College co-op student, a summer placement with the Ministry of Forests and Range Protection ignited his interest in a fire management career. Read more...
Student Helps Business Go Green
“It’s not easy being green,” lamented Kermit the Frog. What’s true for muppet amphibians isn’t necessarily true for Victoria businesses, as they work hard to adopt positive environmental practices. Read more...
Theory AND Practice - what an employer wants
When Camosun co-op student Christopher Paine joined View Royal’s finance team the department was moving into the busiest season of the year – property tax collection. Read more...
Hire Interns as an Effective Recruitment Strategy
Training a new lab technician takes time. Lots of time. Find out how a local high tech company saves expenses by hiring Camosun co-op students.... Read more ....
