Local business representatives were invited to meet with Loyalist College Business Administration students on November 25 and learn how the students’ Alliance Excellence Achievement Program (AEAP) can benefit their organizations. AEAP is a component of the program which gives businesses the opportunity to present real-world challenges to the students and based on this information the students determine the company they would like to work with.
Many of those attending have worked with the students in the past and are eager to participate in the program again. The objective of the introductory session was to explain how the AEAP works, provide examples of past partnerships and their results, and to give participants the opportunity to meet the students and discuss the challenges their organizations are experiencing. The next step will take place in January when each business representative gives a presentation to the students that outlines the project they would like the students to address, providing a platform for businesses and students to work together.
Robert Hoekstra is a second-year Business Administration student who spends his evenings working fulltime as the Galaxy Theatre manager in Belleville. “AEAP gives us the opportunity to apply our skills in a diverse range of work environments and to learn from those we are interacting with. Within our program we are fortunate to be learning from faculty members who have a wide range of work experience which they bring to the classroom. AEAP broadens that circle of experience even further and enables us to make connections that could possibly lead to employment when we graduate.”
Second-year student Cindy Rowe chose the Business Administration program because of its excellent reputation. “Our faculty are very skilled and one of the things they excel at is recognizing our individual skills. They help us develop and build upon these strengths. The students in the program are all ages and from many walks of life. We study subjects such as marketing, economics, human resources and accounting and, perhaps most important of all, we develop our soft skills. This helps us to move comfortably within the business world as confident professionals.”
Jamie Troke, owner of Coldwell Banker Ekort Realty, was encouraged by the positive experience he had working with last year’s students, and hopes to form another partnership. “We had purchased the property across from the train station, with the intention of creating the Station Street Junction development. We decided to ask the students to help us develop, distribute and evaluate a survey that would enable us to gauge the needs and wishes of the community. Through direct mail and door-to-door canvassing they encouraged individuals to complete the online survey which resulted in over 800 responses from which we were able to draw quantitative and qualitative market research. They brought enthusiasm and excitement to the project and I was impressed with their final product. I recently received a call from a bank requesting an employment reference for one of the students who had worked with us on the project. I was pleased to have the opportunity to provide a very positive endorsement on their behalf.”
Business representatives interested in learning more about AEAP and how to participate in the program can contact Professor Bob Millard at bmillard@loyalistc.on.ca. January starts are available in Loyalist College’s Accounting, Business, and Business Sales and Marketing programs.