Zaahra Mehsen was three years into a biology degree at a local university when she realized she wanted to take a different path.
“I realized that it’s not my thing,” she says, adding that she was looking for a more practical educational experience. So she transitioned to the Bachelor of Commerce (Supply Chain Management) program at Algonquin College in 2019, driven by the program’s rich co-op placements and the expertise of professors with real-world workplace experience.
Four years and three co-ops later, Mehsen completed her BComm supply chain degree last month and was immediately bridged into full-time employment as a procurement officer at Shared Services Canada (SSC).
The benefits of a college degree program
It’s not always common knowledge that Algonquin College offers more than diploma or advanced diplomas: The school has also offered degree programs for the past 15 years, beginning with the supply chain program to meet public sector demands in Ottawa.
Dr. Kerry Surman, operations management chair at the College’s School of Business and Hospitality, says the advantage of taking a degree program over other options is the opportunity to enter the workforce at a potentially higher level and higher pay grade.
“You also then have the opportunity to go on to graduate school,” she explains. “Your horizons are broader as a result of making that choice.”
Dr. Surman, who oversees the college’s business degrees, says the most popular are the supply chain program along with the Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) and Bachelor of Commerce (Strategic Human Resources Management) programs.
She adds that Algonquin’s degree programs offer hands-on, applied learning, contrasting with the more theory-based education often found at universities.
Should your young student go to college?
Indeed, the notion that a university education is a must-have for white-collar professionals is being swiftly challenged by the effectiveness of college degree programs, Dr. Surman says.
“It’s changing. And it should change, because now parents, employers, and students can choose more boutique degrees where the learning is more applied, and you’re doing more instead of just being talked at.”
College degrees also offer smaller class sizes and more practice-oriented, cutting-edge curriculum taught by experienced industry experts. “You’re not in a lecture hall of 600 students,” she says. “You’re in a class of less than 60, with a professor who has likely been doing the exact thing they’re teaching four hours earlier in the workplace.
“So there’s a lot of value there in terms of being able to move into a co-op placement or a work integrated learning opportunity, and be able to apply what you’ve learned in the classroom very quickly.”
A competitive advantage: Practical, real-world experience
Other experiential learning (EL) and work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences offered by the school include field and clinical placements, applied research and field projects, and community service learning.
Algonquin College works with several employers, including Coke Canada, Shared Services Canada, Curtiss-Wright, The Beer Store, Canada Post, Department of National Defence (DND), Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
And just like Mehsen, many Algonquin College students bridge into permanent employment following their practical experience.
After completing her three co-op placements, the 35-year-old Mehsen completed another three-month, part-time engagement with SSC before being hired as a full-time procurement officer—and has now been a full-time employee for almost a year.
“I just had to prove myself,” she says. “And they saw how I was able to apply my knowledge that I learned from Algonquin. So I did six months as a student, and then they offered me a permanent position.”
