Many students hope that a hands-on placement translates into career opportunities later down the road. For fourth-year School of Business student Matthew Urquhart, that’s exactly what happened as he was offered a full-time position with Community Futures Peterborough after completing his placement with the local non-profit this spring.

“I really like that aspect of what Community Futures does: helping start-ups get on their feet,” says Mr. Urquhart. “I hope to own my own business one day. I did my degree in marketing, and I’ve always admired entrepreneurs.”

His placement with CFP was as a digital marketing intern, in which he collected data, created presentations, and helped organize the annual general meeting. His full-time role will provide him with an opportunity to further build his skills with numbers—and with people. Mr. Urquhart says he looking forward to working more closely with the CFP’s clientele.

“I’ll be providing start-ups with mentorship and support, showing them the government funding they can receive as a start-up,” says Mr. Urquhart. “This is for any aspiring entrepreneur, including ones from Trent, because there is funding available for young entrepreneurs.”

Mr. Urquhart’s studies at Trent were key in helping him develop the skills required for his new position, noting courses in data mining, data visualization, strategic management and managerial accounting as particularly useful. He also appreciates the guidance he got from Dr. Brian Patrick, an associate professor in Computing & Information Systems.

“Professor Patrick helped me see that at the end of the day you really want to work at something you enjoy. That made me shift my focus in terms of what I want to do in my career, and now I have an opportunity to do just that.”

Learn more about the benefits of experiential learning opportunities at Trent University