Waterloo co-op students dig into data to advance sustainability goals and save money at Teck Resources
By: Christie Zeb (she/her)
In an industry often overlooked by emerging talent, co-op students are helping Teck Resources Ltd. prove that mining can be modern, meaningful and made for the next generation.
The next generation of talent often views mining as a career for older workers. They mistakenly associate the industry as conventional, with hard hats and remote sites, rather than an innovative industry.
But Teck Resources Ltd. (Teck) is flipping that narrative.
Teck has cracked the code on connecting with Gen Z talent. The company hires more than 400 co-op students every year and has built a strong student program.
“We’ve been hiring students for over 40 years,” says Masaki Miyoshi (he/him), lead, campus talent acquisition at Teck. “But over the last few years, we’ve doubled down – not just on bringing students in, but on making it one of the most rewarding, structured and supportive experiences they can have.”
With headquarters in Vancouver, British Columbia, Teck is a leading Canadian resource company focused on responsibly providing the metals essential for global development and the energy transition.
Waterloo co-op students stand out amongst the hundreds of students Teck hires to future-proof its workforce and support its core business. The company hires students from various programs to play a key role in its growth and transformation efforts.
Masaki Miyoshi, lead, campus talent acquisition at Teck Resources Ltd.
In a data-rich environment like mining, efficiency is key to everything from blasting to hauling. Co-op students help harness the power of that data to optimize operations.
“Using tools like Power BI, students have built dashboards that clearly communicate complex metrics,” Miyoshi says.
We had a co-op student build a dashboard that saved Teck $250,000 in the first year and continues to save the company over $1 million annually. That’s how integral they are to our operations.
Fueling sustainability: Maija’s journey at Teck
Maija Hooyer (she/her), a third-year student in Sustainability and Financial Management, collected energy and fuel usage data from across Teck’s operations for the company’s annual sustainability report.
In addition to data management, Hooyer supported the assurance process for the sustainability report by validating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data and investigating material discrepancies.
She worked closely with site teams to understand year-over-year changes, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the company’s climate disclosures.
Maija Hooyer, Sustainability and Financial Management co-op student
One of her standout projects was conducting critical updates to Carbon Base, the application Teck uses to store emissions data.
“This was one of my bigger projects because in 2024, Teck started to increase their procurement and usage of renewable fuels,” Hooyer says.
“Adjustments needed to be made to the database to accurately calculate and report Teck’s renewable fuel usage and the associated biogenic emissions.”
Teck’s commitment to treating students like new graduates allowed Hooyer the freedom to make contributions that supported the company’s environmental reporting and sustainability efforts.
“The feedback we get time and time again is that students are surprised by the amount of responsibility they get,” Miyoshi said. “That’s why we mainly hire students for a minimum of eight months, because we invest in them at the beginning, and then we prepare them to succeed.”
Inside Teck’s student experience
Teck offers a comprehensive and thoughtfully-designed student experience that goes beyond day-to-day tasks.
From their first day, students are welcomed through a group orientation that allows them to meet peers across different teams, fostering immediate connections and a sense of community, especially those who have relocated.
The onboarding process includes a structured curriculum of essential training, such as health and safety, equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and practical tools like Office 365, tailored to meet students where they are.
Through the term, Teck engages students through social events, networking opportunities and professional development sessions like lunch-and-learns and “build-an-app-in-a-day” workshops. The company also pairs new co-op students with returning students who mentor and support them.
At the end of their work terms, co-op students deliver a final presentation about their work, giving them a chance to showcase their impact. This presentation is part of a celebratory offboarding that includes a thank-you gift. The offboarding at the end of a student’s work term highlights Teck’s commitment to valuing and recognizing student contributions.
“Teck is empowering co-op students to grow, contribute meaningfully and leave with more than just work experience—they leave inspired,” says Christine Thur (she/her), University of Waterloo’s co-op account manager for Teck.
Co-op students at Teck Resources welcomed on their first day
Waterloo co-op student, Maija Hooyer receiving a thank you gift after an end of term presentation
As part of its commitment to a meaningful student experience, Teck also has a student experience committee—an initiative run entirely by co-op students who want to enhance life at the company for their peers.
Through this committee, students participate in various activities like kayaking trips and softball leagues, or make meaningful contributions like creating handmade thank-you cards for frontline building staff.
“It’s not just about work experience, it’s about creating a positive, holistic life experience that students remember and talk about,” Miyoshi says. “Our goal is for all students to return to campus with a story that makes their peers say, ‘I want to work at Teck too’.”
Teck is redefining what a future in mining looks like. By empowering students to grow, connect and lead, the company is positioning the industry as one where emerging talent can thrive and build meaningful careers.