UVic Co-op education helps local high-tech businesses thrive

High-tech business leaders in the Victoria region credit UVic Co-operative Education programs with helping their companies grow and succeed. Each year, UVic Co-op--the third-largest university co-op program in Canada--places students in more than 1,200 paid four-month work terms with Greater Victoria employers, including leading high-technology firms. Frequently, work term employers are so satisfied that they offer UVic Co-op students permanent employment upon graduation.

Attached are testimonials from executives of six of the many local high-technology companies that have benefited by their relationship with UVic Co-op. All have agreed to be available to journalists wishing to explore story possibilities.

More than 25 per cent of UVic undergraduate students participate in Co-op programs, alternating academic study with practical, paid work experience related to their fields of study. UVic Co-op encompasses 41 academic areas and places students in approximately 3,000 work terms each year--an increasing number of placements (218 at recent count) in other countries.

National Co-operative Education Week is March 22-27.

Media contacts: Robie Liscomb, UVic Communications at (250) 721-7640
Joanne Thomas, Assistant to the Director of UVic Co-op at (250) 721-8812
see also attached for contact information for Co-op employers.

STATEMENTS FROM VICTORIA REGION
HIGH-TECH CO-OP EMPLOYERS

CLOVER POINT CARTOGRAPHICS LTD., VICTORIA
An employee-owned Geographic Information Systems service company.
202-919 Fort Street, Victoria, BC V8V 3K3
Tel: (250) 384-3537 Fax:(250) 384-2679 e-mail: cloverpoint@pinc.com

"As graduates from the University of Victoria Geography department, we have turned to the Geography Co-op program to fill many of our short-term employment needs since 1994. We have always been extremely happy with the students' knowledge base and work quality. Many of these motivated students have become permanent members of the Clover Point team upon graduation. We can recommend students from the program to any employer requiring geographic based skill sets."
--Dave Nicolson, Director

IVL TECHNOLOGIES LTD., CENTRAL SAANICH
IVL Technologies Ltd. develops, manufactures, licenses and supports products and technology for the karaoke, consumer and music industries. Products include printed circuit boards, chipsets and licensed software. An impressive roster of performing artists employs the company's products including U2, Paula Abdul, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Steve Vai and Ted Nugent.
6710 Bertram Place, Victoria, BC V8M 1Z6
Tel: (250) 544-4091 Fax: (250) 544-4100 http://www.ivl.com/

"IVL Technologies has enjoyed a long-lasting and successful relationship with UVic Co-op Services. Recruitment of creative and knowledgeable employees is critical to our future as an organization. Working with students during co-op terms gives us the advantage of determining skill level and appropriate fit prior to the hiring phase. The program also offers students the opportunity to learn about our technology and style of operation in order to make informed decisions about their careers upon graduation."
--Phil Scott, President

MICROTEK INTERNATIONAL (1998) LTD., SAANICHTON
A leading biotechnology company specializing in the development of health products for the aquaculture industry, Microtek markets its products worldwide through Bayotek Intl. Corp. a Bayer Inc. affiliate.
6761 Kirkpatrick Crescent, Saanichton, BC V8M 1Z8
Tel: (250) 652-4482 Fax: (250) 652-4802

"Since its inception 15 years ago Microtek has been an avid supporter of the UVic Coop program principally employing Co-op students through the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology. Microtek regards these students highly with respect to their training and enthusiasm and finds a common purpose in initiating new projects through them as well as providing a medium for their early exposure to industry."
--Dr. William Kay, President

POWER MEASUREMENT LTD., SAANICHTON
The world's leading manufacturer of advanced, multi-function digital power meters and billing meters, serving the power monitoring needs of industrial, institutional, and commercial facilities, as well as power utilities, power marketers, and energy services companies around the globe for two decades.
2195 Keating Cross Road, Saanichton, BC V8M 2A5
Tel: (250) 652-7100

"Through UVic co-op, I gained valuable business experience in an international environment that provided me with relevant experience I have brought to my current position at Power Measurement. Most of the people we hire have either completed co-op terms with us or have previous co-op experience that is directly applicable to their jobs. Over the longer term, I expect to use UVic's Business Co-op program as a starting point when I look for suitable applicants for positions that open up in my department."
--Sean Stapleton, Marketing Analyst (former BCom Co-op student at UVic)

"I completed my final work term at Power Measurement and I am still working here 10 months later. Having a full-time job immediately after completing my degree was very rewarding. Over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to apply a lot of what I learned from my BCom as well as learn a lot more about all the aspects of a high-tech organization."
--Nina Faulkner, one of two 1998 UVic Co-op students retained by PML on a full-time basis.

Brad Forth, President of PML, is a UVic Engineering Co-op alumnus, who did Co-op work terms at PML while a student at UVic.

RELIABLE CONTROLS, SAANICH
A Canadian-owned manufacturer of embedded microcontroller hardware and software for the building automation industry. Customers include numerous government and private offices, hospitals, universities, schools, recreation centres and hotels.
203-3375 Whittier Avenue, Victoria, BC V8Z 3R1
Tel: (250) 475-2036 Fax: (250) 475-2096 http://www.reliable.bc.ca/

"We've been hiring co-op students from UVic for the past five years and it's just been great! The students are bright, enthusiastic and always willing to learn and take on new responsibilities. In a hi-tech small business, the go-go attitude fostered by co-op translates to win-win for the student and employer.
--Tom Zaban, Vice-President, Marketing

UWI.COM, THE INTERNETFORMS COMPANY, SAANICH (+ CONCORD, CA)
The leading provider of Internet forms for business-to-business e-commerce, enabling businesses to securely send and receive legal as well as other contractual agreements for conducting business-to-business e-commerce.
1095 McKenzie Ave. #400, Victoria, BC V8P 2L5
2300 Clayton Road, Suite 1590, Concord, CA
Tel: 1-888-517-2675 Fax: (250) 479-3772 http://www.uwi.com/

"UVic Co-op has provided a staffing resource of talented personnel that has been valuable to our company's growth. Co-op students are motivated, independent, and creative and come with a level of experience that enables us to give them considerable responsibility."
--Maureen Gordon, Manager of Marketing Communications and former UVic Co-op student

VIGIL HEALTH MANAGEMENT, VICTORIA
Producer of software and hardware-based solutions which support a dramatic improvement in dementia care for elderly patients in long-term care facilities.
201-755 Queens Avenue, Victoria, BC V8T 2C5
Tel: (250) 383-6900 http://www.vigil-inc.com/

"As a member of one of the first groups to graduate from the University of Victoria Commerce program, I am a great advocate of its Co-op component. Now as an employer of Co-op students I find them to be a great resource. They have proven to be enthusiastic, intelligent members of our team. Further, we have found the Co-op program to be an excellent recruitment vehicle for our fast growing company."
--Troy Griffiths, Chief Financial Officer (and former UVic BCom student)

Current Co-op student placed at Vigil as a marketing analyst: Jacquie Brennan

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