CREDIT: BEN HARRIETHA
The new space has been open since September, but with the grand opening, the space is now being showcased for students to use at their leisure.

Employment and student entrepreneurial services hosted a grand opening of its newly renovated student space, located in D1063, on Feb. 16. The space is intended to give students a more comfortable and laid-back place to meet with career and co-op consultants, study, and job hunt. On top of that, a career closet is available so students can borrow professional clothes for interviews.

Kelsey Currie, the manager of cooperative education and entrepreneurial services, explained the new renovation as a by-product of the COVID-19 lockdowns and hybrid work policies.

“We noticed that students were still really interested in meeting with us virtually, especially students who may be from one of our regional campuses,” she explained. “It was a really great opportunity for us to trial a hybrid environment with our staff, but because of that, we didn't need all that space that was used for cubicles.”


Employment and student entrepreneurial services falls under the “Here for You” brand of Fanshawe, with four separate parts making up the entire department.

“The first one that most students probably are aware of is our career services department. Each student has a career consultant, so somebody who is a specialist in helping students find either part time or post-graduate jobs, and that service is available to students indefinitely,” Currie explained.

The second is the cooperative education department, which has 66 co-op programs. Specific to that section, there’s a co-op job board so the students have an easier time finding and applying to co-ops. The third is Leap Junction, the college’s entrepreneurship centre, located in M3001.

“Our specialty is early stage businesses, so we want to hear the idea you had last night in a dream. That’s when you come talk to us. We help you really get started, flesh out that idea, validate it, and then start to build it into something bigger.”

Finally, community employment services, located at 155 Clarke Rd., offers services such as employment consultants, information on careers and training opportunities, and referrals to other community services. The services are open to both Fanshawe students and community members.

The new space in D1063 includes a student lounge, allowing co-op consultants to have informal meetings with their students.

“We have tables and chairs set up there so we can review a student’s resume, talk through an interview, anything really that's not confidential.”

The space is open to all Fanshawe students, not just those taking advantage of any of the services employment and student entrepreneurial offers.

The main thing the new room offers is a student-oriented space to study, make quick changes to resumes, and actively apply any advice they receive from their consultants.

“You don’t have to go away and go to a homework lab anymore. You can pull out your laptop right there, make those edits, your co-op consultant can come back out and check them again. So there’s that space for people to really reflect and take the advice of the consultants that they’re working with rather than waiting for another appointment.”

The new space has been open since September, but with the grand opening, the space is now being showcased for students to use at their leisure.

“I would like every student to come check out the space. It’s a wonderful space just to hang out,” Currie said. “I hope when students do come that it triggers them to think about their careers. Education is an amazing step on your career journey. So let us help you.”