Beyond borders: How a co-op can show you the world

By Wendy Chan posted on September 16th, 2016

As a third-year engineering student, Ryan understood the value of a co-op experience. He knew it would help get his feet under him and give him some chops in the engineering world. But securing a co-op placement isn’t a guarantee — it’s a competitive process for students, as companies often cross-post jobs at multiple universities.

So Ryan pivoted and took a more targeted approach. He’d never considered working abroad before. But when he became aware of The Canada-Japan Co-op Program facilitated by the Engineering Co-op Program, he realized it was a perfect match. From his experiences exploring different places within Canada, he knew about the life-changing power of travel. As a fourth-generation Japanese-Canadian, he also knew there was a lot he didn’t know about his ancestral country, its language and its way of life.

Read the full article: http://www.ubc.ca/stories/2016-fall/ryan-hirakida.html