Support for professionals and organizations in agri-food

Students enroll in the flexible internship course during the Fall, Winter, or Summer semester. The course content is designed to support students in understanding the agriculture, food, environment, and capacity development sectors, and how to best position themselves professionally. As part of the course, students complete a 40 hour internship with a partnering business.

Key Benefits to Businesses:

• Short-term and flexible experiences.
• Cost-effective way of trialing a potential new employee – students complete the internship for course credit, not a wage.
• Great first step for businesses looking to start hosting students.
• Excellent opportunity to expose students to your business.
   

Student Academic Level: Undergraduate students in years 3 or 4.

Student Availability: Fall (September – December), Winter (January – April), or Summer (May – August)

Work Term Duration: 40 hours; can be short weekly shifts or intensive week.

Employer Compensation Requirements: None (unpaid experience)

Student Application Process: Students submit applications to postings; partners interview candidates and make offers.

Partner Posting Process: Contact Boris Martin (boris@uoguelph.ca) or post directly through Experiential Learning Opportunities section of ExperienceGuelph.ca.

Participating Academic Programs:

• Animal Science
• Crop, Horticulture, and Turfgrass Sciences
• Ecology
• Environment and Resource Management
• Environmental Management
• Environmental Sciences
• Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics
• Food and Agricultural Business
• Food Science
• Plant Science

These course-based masters programs with internship experiences involve three to four academic terms and one full-time work term that occurs after completing two academic semesters.

Benefits to Employers:

• Opportunity to have a business challenge addressed by a graduate student with up-to-date knowledge in the field.
• Access to motivated, knowledgeable, and skilled professional students.
• Fresh perspectives and innovative ideas.
• Excellent trial for a future employee – as the internship is in the last or second last semester of the program, you can hire the student right away.
• Opportunity to expose students to your unique line of business.
• Contributing to the education and training of professionals in your field.

Student Academic Level: Graduate students

Student Availability: Summer (May – August)

Work Term Duration: 12-16 weeks; can be extended at the discretion of the employer

Employer Compensation Requirement: Wage – partner must pay at least minimum wage

Student Application Process: Students submit applications to postings; partners interview and rank candidates; OAC matches employers with students.

Employer Posting Process: Contact Boris Martin ( boris@uoguelph.ca)

Participating programs:

• Master in Food Agriculture and Resource Economics (Course terms: 3 | Work term: 1)
• Master in Animal Biosciences (Course terms: 2 | Work term: 1)
• Master in Plant Agriculture (Course terms: 3 | Work term: 1)
• Master in Sustainable Agriculture (Course terms: 3 | Work term: 1)
• Master in Capacity Development and Extension (Course terms: 3 | Work term: 1)

Students complete 4-5 full-time work terms in a field related to their degree. Work terms and academic semester alternate through the students’ degree program. Learn more about U of G’s Co-op Program.

Key Benefits to Employers:

• Hire a skilled student to tackle projects that don’t have full-time resources.
• Cost-effective way to trial a potential new student – students are hired on short-term, finite contracts.
• Students are actively supported through the U of G’s Experiential Learning Hub while they work with you.

Student Academic Level: Undergraduate students in years 3 and 4.

Student Availability: Fall (September – December), Winter (January – April), or Summer (May – August)

Work Term Duration: 12 – 16 weeks (minimum 420 hours) of full-time employment; some programs offer 8-month and 12-month work term options.

Employer Compensation Requirement: Wage – partner must pay at least minimum wage. We encourage consulting our Salary Guide and Hiring Incentives for guidance.

Student Application Process: Students submit applications to postings; partners interview candidates and make offers. Employer Posting Process: Contact the EL Hub (recruit@uoguelph.ca) or post directly through Co-op Job Postings section of ExperienceGuelph.ca

Participating Academic Programs:

• Environmental Sciences (Course terms: 8 | Work terms: 4)
• Animal Science (Course terms: 8 | Work terms: 4)
• Plant Agriculture/ Co-op Plant Science (Course terms: 8 | Work terms: 4)
• Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (Course terms: 8 | Work terms: 5)
• Food and Agricultural Business (Course terms: 8 | Work terms: 5)