Hire Education
Hiring a co-op student allows the industry to recruit and retain bright, motivated, and trained workers while influencing the curriculum that forms the future workforce. Co-op allows you to fill short-term hiring needs as well as pre-screen and train potential future employees.
As the leading forestry school in Canada, the Faculty of Forestry at UBC is nationally recognized for its education programs and quality of research while helping to meet the needs of the increasingly knowledge-based forestry and conservation sectors.
With innovative undergraduate degree programs and the highest levels of forestry research funding in Canada, we are well positioned to meet the future opportunities and challenges in education and research.
We offer undergraduate programs in Bioeconomy Sciences & Technology, Conservation, Forest Management, Forest Operations, Forest Sciences, Urban Forestry, Wood Products, and Indigenous Land Stewardship.
Employer benefits:
1.
Access Pre-Selected Students
Co-op students are pre-selected for academic excellence and personal attributes, ensuring highly productive and motivated contributors to your organization. We screen for you, which reduces future recruitment costs.
2.
Fitted to your Timeline
Co-op is a flexible and adaptable way to cost-effectively staff peak periods and special projects. Our co-op students are available to work for 4, 8, or 12 months at a time – perfect for short-term needs. With every successive work term, you can re-employ the same co-op student either right away or after they finish another study term.
3.
Support the Future of the Industry
By hiring our co-op students, you are shaping future forestry leaders. Mentoring and coaching current students will set them up for higher chances of success post-graduation.
4.
Gain Our Services and Support
The UBC Forestry Co-op office promises professional and personalized service. We help with your recruitment process and arrange interviews if needed. Once a student work term is set, we provide ongoing support to both employers and students, including mid-term evaluation meetings and final evaluation forms.
Your Opinion Matters
To successfully complete a work term, students are required to develop work term learning objectives, participate in a site visit, and prepare a work term assignment. Your opinion matters, so we gather feedback from you about the student and the program through a mid-term evaluation meeting and a final evaluation form.
Co-op Funding
Financial aid is available to hire co-op students. Funding is extremely competitive, so apply as soon as possible.
How to Hire
HIRING – EASY AS 1-2-3
We make it easy for you to hire bright, motivated, and skilled UBC Faculty of Forestry Co-op students. From assistance with job descriptions to arranging interviews and Canadian work permits, we make the recruitment and hiring process simple for you.
1. Post the job
Send your job description to us. Students send their resumes and cover letters to you (your choice) or to us and then we send them to you at the close of the competition. Job descriptions should be as thorough as possible – we have attached a template for this purpose.
2. Select & interview students
The employer short-lists candidates and the Co-op Coordinator arranges interviews with students according to the employer’s instructions. Interviews are held on campus, at your location, via Zoom, or by telephone.
3. Make an offer
Employment offers can be made through the Co-op Coordinator or directly contacting the successful candidate. Once a job offer has been accepted, a formal Letter of Offer from you is sent to the Co-op Office or directly to the student. The letter should include the following details:
- Start and end dates
- Hours of work
- Salary and any applicable benefits
- Supervisor’s name
- Location of work and where to report on the first day
- Summary of duties/responsibilities
When to Hire
Forestry Co-op students are available year-round. The ideal time to post a job for a student is shown in the table below, but contact our Co-op Coordinators any time to talk about hiring options.
| Work Term Period | Job Posting & Interview Period |
| January – April or August | September – mid-October |
| May – August or December | January – mid-February |
| September – December | May – mid-June |
Job descriptions should be as thorough as possible – we have attached a template for this purpose.
If you have any questions, please contact us.
Employer Testimonials
At BC Hydro, we very much value the relationship we have with UBC’s Forestry Co-op Program and we are always impressed at the excellent calibre of students that come from the program. The Co-op Program is an excellent way for students to build real-life working skills and leverage their academic training. It allows students to network with others and explore a variety of career opportunities. At the same time it enables companies to identify and develop potential future employees.
Tom Wells
Former Vegetation Prog Manager | BC Hydro
The ability to integrate well-educated students into the workforce for some real-world experience is great. Students coming out of the CAWP program for co-op terms are a benefit to the company and are able to work on special programs to further the overall development of the organization.
John Neels
Former VP of Manufacturing | Westeck Windows and Doors
The Wood Products Processing Co-op students have been integral in Superior Cabinets’ ability to become an innovative leader in the Canadian kitchen cabinet industry, co-op students can hit-the-ground-running and are able to focus attention on projects that would not see the light of day otherwise. Not only do they learn from us, we learn so much from them as well, it’s truly a synergistic relationship.
Jovan Larre
Production Planner | Superior Cabinets
At Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, I offer a variety of research-based tasks to co-op students. Some research involves computer and analytical work but students also have the opportunity to make field observations, take samples of soil, water, plants, and manure, and conduct laboratory analysis of these samples. Because I have a small program, with limited staff resources, I am able to get the co-op student involved in all of our activities, so they get a lot of variety.
Dennis Haak
Former Senior Soil Specialist | Agri-Food Canada – Agassiz, BC