If you’re looking for hands-on learning and real-world experience, look no further. Life lessons gained through experiential learning are paramount to the Trent experience. In fact, here at Trent, every student is guaranteed to have meaningful, purposeful, and recorded career-boosting learning opportunities that will contribute to your success as you enter the workforce.
The best way to get experience is to go get experience. Here’s how:
Co-op: Paid Work Experience
Put your skills and knowledge to work in one of a variety of co-op streams. You’ll graduate with a distinct career advantage – building valuable connections and gaining hands-on experience through paid work terms, all as part of your Trent degree.
The Trent Co-op Advantage
- Graduate with your degree and 12 months of paid work experience in as little as four years
- Co-op streams offered across the sciences, social sciences and humanities
- Hands-on experience in your chosen field, developing marketable skills and a better understanding of the job market
- Experience working directly with people and organizations that could become personal references for your next job, industry mentors, or even future employers
- Connect with local, regional, and international employers to start building your personal network with leaders and experts in your field
Ready to get started?
Featured Co-op Student
Abbey McIntyre (Lady Eaton College), second-year Gender & Social Justice co-op student, worked as an Education Facilitator, Gender Equality with Kawartha World Issues Centre.
Abbey's role focuses on supporting projects related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), such as SDG 5 – Amplifying Gender Equality. Abbey had the opportunity to gain experience working as part of a collaborative team and individually while developing and delivering informative workshops and events related to SDG topics to the community.
“My experience at KWIC has taught me about advocacy which in many aspects has also led to a deeper understanding of myself and others. KWIC has been an empowering opportunity that gave me the foundation to pursue journalism on social and global issues in the future!”
Featured Work Term
"Our co-op student from Trent University, Leighla, was truly a pleasure to work with. As a not-for-profit, Leighla’s efforts in securing programs and volunteers was integral to our success as an organization throughout her time with us. She took the initiative in helping to deliver our financial literacy programs to grade school students, underscoring her leadership and ability to engage others, while simultaneously continuing to book, train, and follow up with other volunteers for adjacent programs. Without Trent’s co-op program and support, including the $7,000 in funding we received through the Student Work Placement Program, we might not have been introduced to Leighla’s unique skills and talents that meshed so seamlessly with our mission. It has been an absolute pleasure having her on our team and we are eager to show our ongoing support."
John McNutt | President & CEO | JA Northern and Eastern Ontario
“As a Program Manager at Junior Achievement – Northern and Eastern Ontario, I worked with Peterborough volunteers and teachers to deliver programming to almost 200 students and set up future programming for over 400 students.”
Leighla Foster | Gender & Social Justice Co-op student | Fall 2023 work term
