Manpreet Grewal
After a rigorous application process, the Faculty of Arts Work Experience Co-op Program has received accreditation by the Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL). This accreditation recognizes the faculty's commitment to providing mutually beneficial professional work experiences for students and employers.
The Faculty of Arts joins 36 CEWIL-accredited institutions across Canada in upholding and fulfilling the recognized standards for co-operative education experiences.
Arts Dean Lesley Cormack is "very pleased" that the program has received national recognition.
"Students gain invaluable work experience that complements the skills they develop through their chosen field of academic study," says Cormack. "And, at the same time, employers benefit from the fresh, innovative ideas and creative approaches that students bring to the workplace."
The co-op program is one of the experiential learning opportunities available to students underArts Work Experience (AWE), which was established in 2011 as a three-year pilot project. Because of student interest and the success of the program, in 2014, Dean Cormack formally established the Arts Co-op Program.
Indisputably, hands-on work pays dividends across the board, supporting employers - more than 100 who partner with AWE so far! - in shaping their incoming workforce, and allowing students to put their knowledge to work, gain new skills and explore career possibilities within and beyond their respective disciplines.
Manpreet Grewal, a third-year political science and history double major, says she wasn't thinking about experiential learning opportunities when she enrolled at UAlberta. However, a subsequent 12-month co-op placement as an International Student Engagement Intern with the Arts Career Centre changed her mind.
"I came in thinking that I wanted to graduate and get out," laughs Grewal, who credits the Arts Co-op Program for teaching her the value of experience and for sharpening her academic focus.
"Everything is interesting in school when you learn about it theoretically, but when you think about what you want to be doing on a day-to-day basis, that can be challenging. That's the best thing about co-op. It allows you to test different things and figure out what you want your workplace and career to look like."
The now CEWIL-certified Arts Work Experience Co-op Program is an option for any of the 6,000 undergraduate students in the social sciences, humanities and fine arts who are in good academic standing (minimum 2.3 GPA) and have completed *30-105 credits. Typically, students alternate between academic and study terms, completing three work terms (or an optional fourth) for a cumulative total of 12 to 16 months of work experience. Those who complete a total of 12 months receive a notation on their degree parchment.
For Grewal, her co-op experience proved invaluable, both personally and professionally. "It's not just the degree, it's what you do at university and the activities you take part in that will give you the edge," she says. "The Arts Co-op Program was the most intense, and yet the best, experience I've had at the U of A. I would recommend it 100%."
Interested in the Arts Work Experience Co-op program? Check out these videos featuring our fantastic AWE students.