The College Wide Career Fair at the Barrie Campus was held on Thursday, March 12, 2009  in the gym.  80 employer booths were on display for recruiting students and discussing possible career opportunities.  The opening ceremonies at 9:30 captured the success story of Elizabeth Bell from the Computer Analyst program. She was named ‘Co-op Student of the Year’. Her employer, Steve Garner from the Bank of Montreal gave a vivid testimonial of Elizabeth’s accomplishments. Highlights included being invited by IBM to attend launch of new product in New York city, interviewed by the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal. Steve said it best “Her knowledge of IBM mainframe computers and computer programming has developed rapidly. It is evident that she is applying what she is learning in her computer analyst program at Georgian College to the Co-op work experience.” To top it off Steve also offered her full time position when she graduates in August with the Bank of Montreal. This is a testament to the opportunities made available to students by Georgian Colleges’ Co-op programs. The Fair was a great success as students filled the gym throughout the course of the day while networking with hiring committees and Human Resources Managers of some of Ontario’s largest firms. Inset (l-r): Rita Pittman, Co-op Consultant, Computer Studies; Lisa Whalen, Manager, Centre for Co-operative Education, Internship and Career Services; Barrie Mayor Dave Aspen, Elizabeth Bell, Steve Garner, Manager, BMO Financial Group; Georgian College President and CEO Brian Tamblyn, and faculty member Greg Rodrigo.

On Wednesday May 20^th, 2009, the Canadian Automotive Institute (CAI) hosted its annual Career Day.  The event was attended by over 100 students and 15 employers.  There was a definite “hiring buzz” in the air.  Even though there has been a slight downturn in the automotive industry, the event was positive proof that there are still many companies interested in hiring CAI

graduates.

With the price of gas in flux and the traffic congestion on Highway 400 a daily trial, it’s no wonder students aren’t always interested in commuting to work every day for their co-operative education terms. And while not all students are expected to commute or re-locate to another city in Ontario, jobs in Barrie and Simcoe County for those with limited experience can be hard to find. But for some Georgian College co-op students, the sky is truly the limit.

Joanne Cross, Georgian’s International Co-op Consultant, helps facilitate international co-op opportunities. While the primary focus of her position is to provide extra support to international students in a co-op program, she also provides assistance to students who are interested in working abroad for their work terms or after graduation. She works closely with program co-op consultants and other career staff at the Barrie Campus. Read more…

Co-op Pre-Entrance Scholarship Award ($1,000)
Reference # 51062
Description: This award has been made available by the Centre for Co-operative Education/Internship & Career Services.
Eligibility: Open to all first year, full-time students in a co-operative education program at Georgian College, who have successfully completed a high school co-op work experience.

For More Information Visit: http://awards.georgianc.on.ca/

It has just been announced that the deadline for applications for the Ontario Summer Company program has been extended to May 25th.  To date there have been over 48 applicants for the program and the number keeps growing every day.  Applicants who get accepted into the program will receive up to $3000 to run their summer business.  There will also be bi-weekly meetings with business experts to help run the business. If you are a student and are interested in running your own company this summer please visit www.summercompany.ca to see if you qualify and how to apply.      

Georgian’s Centre for Cooperative Education, Internship and Career Services hosted an engineering technology open house and career fair at the Barrie Campus July 22.
The event included an employer panel, information booths and
opportunities for employers to meet with students, accept their
resumés and schedule interviews.

Other participants included alumni and second-year students looking to get ahead on career planning. The event was sponsored by the
Centre for Co-operative Education, Internship and Career Services under
the direction of Lisa Whalen.

Kaitland Vandeloo, a third year Business Administration student, is our first recipient of this award. Kaitland was praised by her co-op employer for her initiative, work ethic, creativity and commitment to her field of study. Kate while on her co-op co-ordinated the summer student program, co-ordinated the Canada Savings Bond program and was involved with the Group Performance Management System. She has received outstanding reviews on all her co-op work terms, is on the Dean’s list and has volunteered for numerous activities and committees including SWAT. Kate is still working part time with her co-op employer while attending school. Kate will be finishing her academics in April and has just been offered a full-time position in H.R. with her co-op employer, Zurich. Now that is what co-op is all about!

Making Education Work!The Centre for Co-operative Education, Internship and Career Services hosted a Glad You are a Grad event for students in their final academic semester this summer. The event, which took place July 15, was well attended and gave graduating students an opportunity to gather valuable information from the Registrar’s Office, UPC, Career Centre, Alumni and the Greater Barrie Business Enterprise Centre. In addition, a panel discussion was held with HR reps from the City of Barrie, County of Simcoe, Orillia Power and Georgian College, discussing the finer points of how they screen candidates, resume and interview tips, and job search mistakes to avoid. The employers provided students with excellent “real world” information on how to look for that grad job. Students were very interested in the employers’ perspective, which was evident by the questions they asked the panel. Students were also reminded that the full range of Career Services are still available for them after they leave Georgian College.

As the number of flu cases in Ontario rises, Georgian wants to ensure you get the answers to your flu related questions:

• Not sure you have the flu or a cold?
• Wondering where you can get the flu vaccine?
• Not sure how to report absence as a result of the flu?

All the latest news on this and more can be found on the latest update at:

http://www.georgianc.on.ca/news/h1n1

Students….

Interested in obtaining a part-time/co-op job on campus?  Please plan to attend the On-Campus Job Fair on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 in front of the Library Commons from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.  Various departments from around the Georgian College Barrie Campus will be available to accept your resume!

Don’t forget to drop in to B110 if you wish to have your resume and cover letter reviewed.  Drop-in hours are Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. – 3p.m. No appointment is necessary.