FOUR FEEL FORTUNATEFOR CO-OP FUNDING

OPTYoun EDUCATION

Schoolingto Sk1llswith Ease

13yJennie Brickwnod ince 1 have cho·en the field of public relutions, this work pll1ceinent gave me valunbk experience. I was given the opportunity 10 help cu-ordinnte tl]e VanCity Ladies' lnvilalinnal Glilf Tournmnenl; you may have recently seen advertiscrncnts for this event in the Abbolsfurd News. As one of rhe primary co-ordinatllrs, I was re ponsible for rct:ruiting 36 tee box sponsors. collect• ing I 04 prizes from local businesses through faxes and phone wnversations and crl'ating a program for the event day; along with various other tasks to help make the tournamcnt u success.

/\ fter graduating high school l had no due about what it wus I wished lo accomplish in life. Like many or my peers. l cnrolh.:d m UCFV to ovoid paying rent. The first two yenr. nl univer~i1y were n blur, dist:ovtring several of the local pubii. I held the illusion lhnt now, a<; a young adult. wealth Mlu power would soon be thrown n1y w;iy. 1 believed lhut I could walk into the ofnce building of my choice and immediately be given my dream job once I completed my clegrce. Thi/\ idea was Inter shattered after a few summer job interviews. where it was 1:xplained to 111ethat education is nm nlwuys enough, I needed ·work experience'! My illusion or immediate wealth and power wm, fading fa!.t. lf employers Dnly hired basc<l ()h work experience. hnw was I going 10 breuk 111ywuy in'!

I ~rnm discovered the to operative educutitin prngrn111,This prugrum assists sllldenl~ in gaining temporary positions where 1 was given the opportunity to use the skills I karned in clnss. It has been four years and I have graduatc<l from UCFV with my Associntes or Am degree in Media and Co111111unicn1ionswith full co-op education credits.

T huve been successfully placed in four coup work terms; Abbotsford Chornbcr of Commerce. The Abbotsford Symphony Ori:hcstra, Revenue Canada and Customs Agency ,111d the Fr.iser Valley Child Development Centre.

My po ition at the Fraser Valley Child Development Cen1re was Assistant Resource Developer, which focused on internal and external commu1fa:alions. This incl11deo helping plan events. CL1ndraising. t:rcating posters and brochure writing pub• lie service •announcements, licking envelopes, etc.

I found being able to successfully apply the skills I learned in class to this particular event was surprisingly rewarding.

In an interview with Janice Yelland, the Executive Assistant. I asked her about the co-op program and how it uffected the work place. Janice firmly believes that this 1ypc of program is a "positive experience for everyone. Students bring fresh ideas to the work place" and a lot of alivn for the envelopes Janice no longer has to lick. ''Not only i. the assistance with the heavy work louJ (Janice) manages everyday a g,·eat relief, but the difference in ~tyk of work is refreshing. ''The adv,1ntage ,He 1renIcn• dnus aml nnly di~advaniage is lhul the stu• dent eventually has to leave the tenm

LJNMARK PUBLISHING: A FRIENDLYPLACETO WORK

By B~andy l lurris

Since.: 1949, Linmnrk Publishing has been producing a variety of culcncJarsfor vnrious non-profit mganin1tions ncro~s Can.idn. The mme popular calenuar are the Com1m1nity Birthday CalenJnr un<l the Fire Prevention Calendar. These calcndurs, along with Uw other styles. ore produced on-site. ut Li nmark PubI ishi ng.

I \H1:;;hired 10 Ju typing und proof-reading. I typed the entries for the birthday. ,111d proofed other typists' work. As well. I enjoyed proofing the hacks of calendars. Since I was initiully brought into the lean, in May of 2001. I was also able to guin uJditi()nal tusks. , u~·has contacting lhe sponsor (the individual whn organized the fund-raj),. ing project within n given non•prnfir orgn11i1.ntion) with questions that hud arisen fnun the process or typing the fumily cards. I also answered questions for the individuals hired for the September busy period.

I ,i nmark has a vorie1y or 1u~ksand p1)sitio11s thnt are nct:cssary 10 produce the calendars. The-re arc the typist and pruuf-rcndcrs, the customer service reps. and typesetters for the backs, which ,ire oil located in tht! nft1ce. In the back, where all of the.:printers for the final product are. there arc additional tusks needed to be performed, $uch as collating, and bugging.

Lin mark Publishing is a great place to work at for it has a very friendly and welcoming environment. which is suitable for fir~t time Co-op students. Ms. orinne Burt stated: "The best thing about my job is the people l works with. They're all so friendly. As well. we ha e the best customers - they're so friendly!"' I must admit. I enjoyed 1alking to the customers when we needed t1uestiu11s answ~rcd, They weIe l'lk'crful and delightful to talk to. Muny of my co-worker~ wcrl: also friendly indiv1duuls. In addition. Mr. Brad Mortin. who own~ Linrnark Publishing, make:, everyone feel wektime when they first St(lrt. I believe that the friendly anti n;laxed envirn11111ent is the be~t thing obout Linniark.

l had originally enrolled in the CcH>p Program lo gain hands-on, real world expc• rience. And it docs tli.:liver - it provides .in opponunily lll apply for po~ted positions for a variety of companies. The posted po~itions are for full-time employment. and may Inst for one work term (four months) or two (eight months). Co-op benefits both pa11ies involved: the student<; get 10 sec how to apply their education lO the reHI world and the employers .ire able 10 hire tempurury helpers who have the education and tiu:.ilification fur their Iinns.

I had chosen to apply to Li11n1.arkPublishing because the posting mude the business sound very interesting. As well, 11<1llowed me to impriwe my 1yping nnJ prnnf-1c,1dinµ sl-..ills. After bcing hired. I was rewur<lcd With frie11dly t:tHo\Prki:rs, supervisors u11d customers. three things that any polential employee hnpe:, to )!l'I.

LINMARKPUBLISHING:MORE THAN JUST CALENDAHS

By Lynn Rnth 13usiness/\dmin Co-np Swdcnl

As the publisher of the Cunimunity Birthday Calendar. ;i t111iquefundraising 1001.Li1111turkPublishini; has been serving non-profit nrgani1u1i1,nsnno~s Canat.la for mon.' than 25 yeari;, The company·~ dedication to prod11c111g u quality proJuc:l and to providing friendly cuslcimcr scrvic:c is the reason customers :-ubsc:ribc lo rhc Calent.lnr year after year.

Linnrnrk Publishing produt:es the Community Birthday Calendar (CBCJ, a fundl'oising tool used by non-prnlit l\rganizations and cun1111uni1ie~across Ca11<Hfo, The Calendar b uni4ue 10 each g1 oup. v. ilh the names. birthdayt-;, ,1nniversaries. memo 1·ia111dates, and meetings/cvcnis specilk to 1111::communities involved. The prnduct1011 of the CBC rcqui,·e~ a dose-knit group nf employees who eui.:hlilke on various tusks. Positions range from order prot:cssors and data entry proofreaders lO equipment/machine operators. Some of these positions .ire full-li111cwhile others nre temporary. The company requires sever.ii tempornry employees to help out during the busy seasons, whicll occur in the months prct:cding fanunry and September. I was hired as a data-entry prl1l1freaderto help out during these two seasons for a total of seven n1ont'hs.

Over the past seven months. I have hod !he oppmtunity to cxpcrience the various aspects ol' u career in Bu. incss AJininislrntion. Since this wa~ my second work term after my lirst year of stuJies, one of lily primary goals in this job pltieernt:nt wm, lo lcurn whut ir i:; like tu worl-.. in the field lJf Business /\d111i11is1ration,and this job ~urpasse<lIny expt:ttatinns. 'J'he UCFV Co-op prngr,1111ullt1wcd me 111111cc1111y go.ii by providing Jill' withjl1b posting~. Without those job po~1ings,it would have been 11111d1 more dil'fitttlt tn flnd a job in my l'ield or interest.

During my work term at Linmurk Publishing. I hntl the opp11rtuni1y111tukl" on u variety uf wsks. My respo,,sibilitics ranged froni husir office work. sud1 w; datu entry and proofreading. to au111ini),lrat1vi: nnd n,unageri:11Julies. The latter responsibilities involved buth supervising anti managing the eight new ~luff member~ hired for the busy season as well as orgnnizing their work to keep prodw.:tion moving smoothly. l also haJ the e~p1:ricnce of concluc1ing u few inwrvicws - mainly the test porlion. This nllowed me to see the business world from the view or a manager mthcr than .in employee.

While conducting the interviews, I learned what Linmark Publishing looks for in un employee. The i.:ompuny looks for strong evidence of competence, which they find through test score-:. Unmurl-.. ulso l11(1ks for pcuple who nre per. onnble und whu will tit ill[o tht: tulture orthe (;11111pllny.'nwhulk 111 the intcr\'ic\\ s cum,i~I ltf two 11':~ts - tyring nnd prm1ling - which Ihc n111nugL·r~u~c 111 dctcr111inc the capability ul' the intervil• ccs.

Through my p11~iIi11n ut Linnwrk Publi!>hing, I learned 111orcHhout the.:l'(llll puny nntl its functions a~ \\ 1cll ui; the bm,it:s 111'bd11gun c111pluycl.'in a businc~s an<lcurrying oul the duily lllsk:- required in an nftice seuing. Most importuntly. I learned whnt I wI II look 1"11r in a l'arccr once I have completed my Degree 111 Busine~s Adn1i11is1rutio11.

CO-OPERATIVEEDUCATION PROGRAMlN BUSINESS AI)MINISTRATION

By M ichcllc Rrn1pcl

British Cnlurnbia Buildings Curpornlinn ( 13CBC) is n t:l'llWII t·orporutilln thal wa~ t:stahlished in 1977 Lll pro itlc accumn111d.ition an<lreul estate services 111Ihe pruvinciul govcrn111cnt. In 191)7,13Cl3C expanded Ill provide its services to the brnadcr public !>eclnr. BCBC is the large~l acct1mmodation prnvidcr in B : they huve more than 40()0 owned, lensed and main1uined properties in over 260 communities lhroughout BC.

BCHC provides oppnrtunilies lo 111orcthan 7000 community suppliers of spucc, 111a1erinls nnd services throughout BC. Their portfolin ranges anywhere l'ro1nVancouver Law Courts, the Robson quarc Complex. to heritage buildings from the 1860's. They include ol'lke buildings. courthouses, forestry wmplexcs. lish hatcheries. ambu• lance stations. correctinnal Ct::rnrcs. und highway facilities.

BCBC ernpl11yi;ovcr 850 employees acrus~ !he province. Thi~ network ur employees is located in eight struIegie districts, which im:ludc 70 crvict: centrc:- und satellite oflit:cs. There is un extc11~ivc list of c..ircer opportunities lll BCBC such us: uccnunting/11n.1neial. ud111inistrutive. (1rchitcctunil. enginee1ing, hatchery. human re\tll.Jrccs. inf111mmiun systems, interinr design. lens• ing. nrninlcnam:e. manugement. public relation~. real estate. security. l<.'chnit:,1Iand trades.

Out of these 850 employees. 13 wnrk in the Account~ Payable (AP) depart1111:nt in Victorin and 5 work in AP in Port CoquiIln111.Euth per~1111 in Port Coquitlum look, nftel' tl separate distrii.:l for BC. These distrit:ts include; Burnaby/New Wcst111insIer/l'ri-Cities. V;Incouver. Fraser. Kootenay/Cl>lumbiu/Buundary. nnd Skeena/Centrnl Interior/Peace. The three other distrit.:ls looked :tftcr in Yic1ori11 include: Victoriu. Vancouver Island. and Thumpsnn/Okan,1g.un/Caribuo.

As u w-op student in the summer. I was employed ut BCB in Pon Coquitlam to provide varntion coverage assistant.:ein tht: AP department. l was responsible l'or prnccssing invoice~ for pnymcnl in each dislrkc

SEE 11CO-OP FUNDING"ON PAGE 6