Following the success of an Internship Pilot Program in 2020, COVE ran an expanded program in 2021. The number of students doubled from the pilot period while maintaining a high degree of satisfaction, quality, and diversity.
Now, as the COVE internship program approaches its third year in 2022, the number of participants is expected to double once again from the 2021 cohort. This exponential growth has been driven by the mutually beneficial outcomes of the program.
COVE’s internship program recruits students from a wide range of backgrounds and skills. Past cohorts have included students majoring in Business, Environmental Sustainability, Ocean Technology, Computer Science, Public Relations and Mechanical, Chemical and Industrial Engineering.
Students from four-post-secondary institutions have participated in the program: NSCC, Dalhousie University, Mount Saint Vincent University, and the University of British Columbia. This year, we will be expanding to Newfoundland and are excited to welcome students from Memorial University/Marine Institute.
As part of the recruitment process, there is an emphasis on attracting students from a diversity of underrepresented groups in the ocean sector. In the 2021 cohort, we were successful in hiring 13 of 20 students from under-represented groups.
In the 2022 program, COVE is aiming to double its intake of interns to 40 and grow the number of companies and mentors from 8 to 16.
COVE interns receive coaching and professional development training from business leaders on topics such as design thinking, risk management, sprint methodology, and lean start-up, which will benefit their academic pursuits, career development, and workplace readiness.
“As a student, it can often be a struggle to secure meaningful work experiences,” said Tim Perron, Regional Coordinator (Atlantic), Information and Communications Technology Council. “The COVE internship program is helping students gain the necessary work-readiness skills within the ocean tech sector to help them find employment opportunities upon graduation and stay in our region.”
The exposure to companies in the ocean sector at COVE is an incredible advantage for the students. As a result, 86% of the participants of the 2021 program have found an ocean-related role within one month of the program ending.
Hosting internships is also a solid return on investment for companies in regard to building a talent pipeline with short-term to immediate results. Interns become embedded in company culture and are inclined to stay or return to the host company post-graduation. They also provide innovative and new approaches to projects and work, injecting fresh ideas into the company.
“The growing number of responses we’ve received for the internship program is an indication of how important this initiative is for students, and how in-demand the ocean technology sector is for a skilled workforce,” said Melanie Nadeau, Chief Executive Officer at COVE. “Our interns have access to the best ocean tech companies in the world and are gaining real-life work experience.”
If you are a student or employer interested in joining the COVE internship program for 2022, please visit www.coveocean.com/internship-program-2022/ to learn more.