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Loyalist Students Partner With Business Community for Fresh New Results

February 20, 2014

Entrepreneurs, small and large businesses, not-for-profit and service organizations are asking Loyalist Business Administration students for fresh professional solutions to real-world business challenges. They have pitched their projects on campus to students participating in the Alliance Excellence Achievement Program (AEAP) component of the Business Administration program with the hope that one or more students will choose to work with them. Several were returning after successful partnerships in previous years. Others were attending for the first time in hopes of benefiting from this talented pool of creative energy and skills.

“Our role at the Chamber is to engage with the community and Loyalist is a huge resource for us,” said Bill Saunders, Chief Executive Officer of the Belleville and District Chamber of Commerce. “The opportunity for employers to connect with students from the College for apprenticeships, internships or work placements is an important way to develop a supportive network within our community.”

The Operations Coordinator for Taste the County is Lise Rouleau. Lise now sits on the employer’s side of the desk, but she can attest to what an excellent learning opportunity AEAP is for the students – as a graduate herself of the Business Administration program.

“It is wonderful to return to the campus and be able to offer the opportunity to students to learn and grow as I did during my time at Loyalist. I absolutely know that the project I envision will get done with expertise and passion from these students. It is also nice to be able to give back to a program that has done so much to help me in my career path by giving me the real life experience that I needed to be where I am now.”

This year’s students are eager to choose a project and apply their skills to the initiative. One of these individuals is Jane West, a former nurse of 20 years, and currently enrolled in the second year of the Business Administration program.

“We are inviting local business people to come to us and request that we work with them on projects. These are real life issues that the businesses have and it will give us, as students, some excellent experience. We want them to challenge us so we will gain as much as possible from this learning opportunity.”

“The hands-on component of the Business program is appealing to me, including events such as the AEAP activities where I get to meet employers, mingle with them, learn what they are looking for, and discuss my skill sets with them,” said student Jake Stoneham. “I’m a big fan of the program and I’d have to say that my favourite part is the teachers. They are business professionals and really have valuable insights – that makes it easier for me knowing that the information they are sharing is not right from a text book but based on their personal experience.”

AEAP was introduced to the Business Administration program in 2003 with 15 companies presenting projects. The students’ reputation as a valuable resource within the community has spread; the number of participants continues to grow. Business representatives interested in learning more about AEAP and how to participate can contact Professor Bob Millard at bmillard@loyalistc.on.ca. For information visit Loyalist College’s Business Administration program.

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