’WE HAD TO ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES’
By Susan White
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations and employers scrambled to modify operations, and the impact was felt across many sectors of society.
At Memorial’s Faculty of Business Administration, those impacts affected commerce students, who are required to complete three work terms as part of their program. But in the winter and spring of 2020, 43 work term positions were cancelled by employers.
Lindsay Lynch (B.Comm.(Co-op.)(Hons.)’21) was one of the students who lost her position. It would have been her third and final work term, and she needed it to graduate on time. “Initially, I was quite distressed,” she said. “If I had taken the spring semester off without taking courses or completing a work term, I would have essentially been a semester behind.”
But academic staff members in the faculty’s co-operative education office weren’t about to let students not graduate. With some creative thinking and support from the faculty and the business community, the office found new placements for all 43 of the affected students, and maintained its 100 per cent placement rate throughout the pandemic.
“We had to roll up our sleeves a little,” said Leroy Murphy, academic staff member in co-operative education. “Suddenly needing over 40 positions in an environment where employers are reluctant to bring anyone new into the organization became a monumental task.”
The business faculty stepped up to fund 14 work terms, during which students provided a variety of administrative and research supports.
Funding programs helped organizations to hire students, including the existing Small Enterprise Co-operative Placement Assistance Program from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the new Business Strategy Internship program from Mitacs Canada.
Finally, the business community recognized both the need to continue supporting business students and the opportunity to engage students in meaningful ways as organizations adapted to the pandemic.
“We have a very loyal and supportive group of employers who recognized our need but they also recognized that work term students would be helpful for them,” said Mr. Murphy. “For example, because of the pandemic, many organizations have recognized the need to increase or improve their online presence. Our commerce students are a fabulous resource for these types of initiatives.”
Ms. Lynch was eventually hired by the Newfoundland and Labrador Association for Community Business Development Corporations (CBDC) as a research analyst. She completed the work term remotely.
“I strongly believe that work terms were a critical component of my degree, and that it’s vital to have real-life experiences to complement concepts taught during lectures,” she said. “Overall, I had a great experience with my work terms, and I think the knowledge I gained from each will benefit my career.”
