Prepare for work life through the COSTAATT Work/Study Programme
COSTAATT prides itself on taking initiatives to help wholistically develop their students, beyond just academics. One such measure is the work-study programme, offered to students who have completed at least one academic year. The programme aims to provide students with practical work experience in a related field at the college. Additionally, flexible hours ensure that they still have more than enough time to dedicate to their studies. It is designed to give students a feel for what a professional work environment is like, and to increase their skills and expertise in their chosen field. The hours are designed to be flexible so as to not interfere with students’ academic lives; there is a 20-hour-per-week cap put in place to make sure of that.
Dillon King, a fourth year Graphic Design student at the college, has acknowledged the programme’s potential for tangible benefits. “At the time of seeing work-study openings through our student emails, I was giving heavy consideration to jobs or internships where I could turn the theories I learned through various courses into real world experience,” Dillon said, “Also, I felt like I needed to challenge myself by balancing work and academics and being more open as a person”. Dillon’s work-study arrangement entails being one of three graphic designers in the college’s marketing department. His main duties consist of creating artwork for various platforms such as social media and brochures. He also assists in preparation of various events that the marketing department is responsible for planning, like career fairs and graduation.
In terms of whether he feels like the work-study programme has been effective in preparing him for a full-time job post-graduation, Dillon noted that the programme “has definitely given me a step up so that I am prepared for the next steps in my career”. In addition to elevating his graphic designing skills over the year that he has been a work-study, Dillon also made specific mention of the opportunity for networking with professionals from other departments and his view that it has helped him in terms of learning how to work and co-exist with others.
Furthermore, he stressed the importance of simply having a name like “COSTAATT” on your resume. “When applying for a job that requires a certain amount of years’ experience, I’ll be able to cover that,” Dillon said, “Especially with a notable name like COSTAATT regionally”.
Overall, the COSTAATT work-study initiative is certainly a unique opportunity that any student at the college should look to take advantage of. It is a fine way to network, put theories into practice, gain a first-hand understanding of what a real work environment looks like, and to simply polish your practical skills while still studying. Notices of work-study openings are usually emailed to students through their COSTAATT emails.
Written by Nicholas Bayley.
