Post by UniNewsletter

Since 2020, Simon Fraser University's Co-operative Education programs have supported more than 19,000 paid work experiences, generating over CAD$280 million in student earnings. That number is striking. But Dr. Natalia Bussard, EdD, Program Manager of Co-operative Education for Science, Environment and Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University, is more interested in what those experiences actually produce in the people who go through them. In this Academic Perspectives contribution, she profiles four students whose co-op placements took them well beyond what a classroom could offer. A Data Science student working as a Junior Data Scientist with the RCMP, turning raw operational data into tools police could use day to day. A Biology student supporting hands-on investigative work with RCMP Forensic Identification Services. A Mathematics and Computing student contributing to satellite testing at MDA Space. A Molecular Biology and Biochemistry student developing company-wide onboarding materials at STEMCELL Technologies before moving into laboratory work at ALS Global. Across all four stories, a pattern emerges. The skills that made the difference were not purely technical. They were the ability to navigate uncertainty, communicate across teams, and adapt to environments that did not come with instructions. "Within SFU's Science, Environment, and Health Sciences Co-op programs, there is a strong focus on the human side of work. As artificial intelligence reshapes professional roles, qualities such as empathy, communication and relationship-building remain essential." — Dr. Natalia Bussard, Program Manager, Co-operative Education, Science, Environment and Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University For institutions thinking about how to prepare graduates for what is ahead, this article makes a grounded case for what experiential learning can do when it is taken seriously. Read the full article here https://lnkd.in/d7Qv7fJF #HigherEducation #CooperativeEducation #StudentSuccess #ExperientialLearning #UniNewsletter #EnduringEducation