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Student jobs still available in weak economy, but not always the right ones

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Calgary’s post-secondary institutions say student internships and career placements are surviving the downturn in the economy, but students worry they aren’t always in their field of study.

Officials at Mount Royal University and the University of Calgary said any decline in oil and gas opportunities have been replaced by jobs in other industries.

“There are less overall postings, but there’s still the same number of vacancies available,” said Patsy Valenzuela, supervisor of career education and employment development at Mount Royal University.

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She said there is, however, a shift in the companies that have openings due to the downturn in the economy. It’s now sectors such as non-profits, health and wellness, the service industry and the supply train.

“There are a lot of different industries that are hiring,” said Valenzuela, noting organizations that have laid off some employees will often still hire summer interns or offer student placements during the year.

Similarly, the U of C also said it hasn’t noticed a decline in any work placements or internships.

“We’re still seeing decent numbers for co-op and internships,” said Colleen Bangs, manager of career services with the U of C. “Co-ops and internships are a really good short-term solution for employers.”

The opportunities, however, aren’t always in the fields where the students are studying.

“Students were not able to find as many of the great summer jobs as they were normally able to find — the high-paying ones, the professional internship or the research-opportunity type jobs,” said Tristan Bray, vice-president external with the University of Calgary Students Union. “There are less of those available.

“Students are finding it’s really hard to get really great, relevant jobs.”

As a result, he said they are worried that they will graduate without the necessary work experience to find a career in their field of study.

cderworiz@postmedia.com

twitter.com/cderworiz

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