Co-op education, and other work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities, provide employers a unique opportunity to develop a student’s skills while building a potential future workforce with on-the-job training oriented to their unique needs.

This month, we are featuring two programs that provide students interested in digital agriculture with workplace experience and career readiness skills.

Hire a student from University of Manitoba

At the University of Manitoba, co-op students are available from all undergraduate programs at the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, such as Agribusiness, Animal Systems, Agroecology, Food Science, Agronomy, and Plant Biotechnology. Employers hiring through this program benefit from:

  • Pre-screened students: All co-op students must apply to the program, and are selected based on motivation, communication skills, and professionalism;
  • Workplace readiness: Students undergo pre-employment training to ensure they are prepared for a successful work term;
  • Co-op roles: Classified as full time (minimum 35 hours per week), paid, and approximately 4 months in duration.

Students gain a wide variety of work experiences by taking part in the co-op program. For example, food sciences student Arulmani Sukaraj has worked for Exchange Group and the Grain Commission and agronomy student Gabriella Beckta has worked for Bayer CropScience and Richardson International.

Employers can access up to $7000 in wage subsidies and can apply for a 15% tax credit for wages paid to the students. To learn more about hiring a University of Manitoba co-op student contact agcoop@umanitoba.ca.

System administration, man is working in data center with laptop

Photo supplied by RRC Polytechnic

Hire a student from RRC Polytech

Students from RRC Polytech’s IT And Applied Computer Education (ACE) programs are looking for four month, full-time, paid co-op opportunities for the Spring/Summer term (May to August 2025). Co-op is the last component of their program so students can transition to permanent employment if they meet your expectations. The following programs are preparing for co-op:

For more information including links to funding, visit RRC’s Work-Intgrated Learning and Information for Employers webpages. If you have specific questions, email Katie Derksen at kaderksen@rrc.ca. 

Strengthen the talent pipeline

Hiring through WIL programs like University of Manitoba and RRC Polytechnic gives employers a unique opportunity to develop talent and provide potential future employees with skills and training oriented to their unique needs. Employers who participate in WIL are also helping to strengthen the talent pipeline by exposing students to digital agriculture. Critical thinking, decision-making, and collaboration are some of the most important skills employers in digital agriculture look for when hiring employees. Employers who hire through WIL programs are able to develop these skill sets, making for a stronger workforce now and in the future.

If you are an employer interested in hiring students, be sure to bookmark EMILI’s Work-integrated Learning for Employers webpage, which includes a regularly-updated list of funding opportunities to support hiring students in digital agriculture.