Supporting student growth and development
Wrapping up ARC’s 2023 summer student program
Every year, a group of students and new graduates spend their summers at ARC Resources. We’re pleased to offer work in diverse disciplines like engineering, accounting, operations, geosciences, technology, corporate services, and many more. Throughout their work terms, students are assigned meaningful work projects that contribute to our business, multiple professional development opportunities, and a student-led community involvement initiative.
Over summer 2023, nearly 20 students joined ARC from universities across the country. Here are some of the highlights from our summer student program:
Meaningful Work and Unique Opportunities
Along with their daily responsibilities supporting their teams, almost every student is tasked with a large meaningful project throughout their term at ARC. These projects vary in scope, but each is designed to put responsible development first and support our overall business strategy.
Our students develop key employment skills and apply their academic learning in a real-world hands-on environment.
“All the projects that I was able to work on have given me valuable real-life applications to the concepts taught in school,” says Saga Elsayed, Facilities Engineering Summer Student.
Mentorship and Professional Development
Our summer students are encouraged to pursue their unique growth and development. Students were invited to participate in self-awareness workshops, like the Insights Discovery® personality assessment, to better understand themselves and their workplace relationships.
Students also had chances to network with industry professionals, take part in a comprehensive financial literacy seminar, and attend a petroleum industry course that covered the industry from geology, to regulatory, to drilling and completions.
“I loved the engagement of the summer student program,” says Sophia Marchenko, Office Services Summer Student. “They really tried to build a community with us and did a great job facilitating that.”
In addition to multiple team and networking events, students receive professional mentorship, feedback, and guidance.
"This summer I was fortunate enough to work on a diverse range of projects that contributed to the expansion of my knowledge and provided opportunities to apply myself. All the projects that I was able to work on have given me valuable real-life applications to the concepts taught in school."
Community Involvement in ARC’s Day of Caring
ARC’s annual Day of Caring is a key part of our student program. It’s a chance for students to volunteer and raise money for a local cause. Students work in teams to choose an organization that reflects our values and pitch their idea to ARC team members. This year, ARC students chose Friends of Kananaskis, a community organization dedicated to maintaining the ecological integrity and recreational use of Kananaskis Country.
In July, our students spent the day in the mountains near Canmore Nordic Centre, creating, refining, and maintaining the Illiad hiking and biking trails for millions of annual visitors. The Day of Caring encouraged students to spend their time connecting with nature, while learning valuable collaboration and communication skills with each other.
“It was a really nice day,” says Chelsey Kaiser, Geology Summer Student. “We’re in the office and our jobs are very analytical. This was a chance for all of us to get outdoors and do something physical. Everyone had a really good time.”
Bruce Gleig is the Trail Care Supervisor with Friends of Kananaskis, who led our students. With over 20 years of experience trail-building, Gleig says he hopes these team building events ultimately help to connect people with the landscape and become better stewards of the land.
“ARC Resources’ crew did a fantastic job building a beautiful section of new trail,” says Bruce. “It was an honour for all of us to work with your team.”
Through fundraising efforts in the Calgary office, ARC Summer Students raised more than $3,000 for Friends of Kananaskis.
Immersion in our Culture and Creating Long-Term Relationships
Some great perks to being an ARC Summer Student are the social events and occasions to get to know one another and their teammates. Students are immersed in ARC’s culture and often create relationships that carry forward past their time with us.
“We all got along so well and had really great connections,” says Sophia. “We’re a lot closer now after all the different events.”
“I’ve made quite a few close friends,” adds Chelsey. “It’s a very inclusive space and I’ve definitely learned the most at this company than I have at other companies.”
On behalf of the whole team at ARC, we’d like to sincerely acknowledge our summer students for all their hard work, exciting projects, meaningful contributions, and community involvement over the last four months. Thank you for spending your summer at ARC. We wish you well as you continue your academic studies.
ARC begins recruiting prospective students for our 2024 program in the fall. Watch for job postings on university job boards across Canada.
Learn more about our summer student program: Students & New Graduates – ARC Resources
