Selkirk College students are gaining valuable work experience during the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, thanks to opportunities presented through the Co-op Education and Employment Services Department (CEES) at Selkirk College.
Chelsea Mathieson and Bernice Purdey of Nelson accessed the Vancouver Organizing Committee’s (VANOC) Sponsored Student Work Term Program through CEES and were hired to perform various job functions during the games.
Currently enrolled in the Associate of Science program at the college, Chelsea Mathieson works 40-60 hours a week as a resident advisor for gameday management — an international transportation company hired to manage transportation during the Olympics. In this position, Mathieson is working with bus drivers, helping them coordinate their schedules, find nice restaurants, inform them of any schedule changes, etc.
Purdey has graduated from the Contemporary Music and Technology program at Selkirk and is employed as a bus dispatcher for the games.
“This experience will be of great benefit to my future,” said Bernice. “My college education has helped me enormously in terms of time management, work ethic and communication skills. I’m sure that the connections I am making will launch my career options in the long run.”
Many Selkirk College programs and students are involved with CEES, which focuses on providing student-employer partnerships in a wide diversity of forms. Employers gain year-round access to motivated, capable student employees which could be viable future hires, while students receive relevant employment skills and realistic expectations of the work force before graduation.
Students and organizations wanting to access the Co-op Education and the Employment Services Department can call Brenda Smith, Manager of Co-op Education and Employment Services, at 250.365.1280 or email her at coopeducation@selkirk.ca. Individuals can also visit www.selkirk.ca/programs/coop for more information.