Students Drive AI Adoption in Waterloo Firms

University of Waterloo said on May 19 that its co-op students are being placed inside local companies through a new Communitech program aimed at getting artificial intelligence projects built, tested and deployed. The initiative, called AI@WORK, launched this spring and pairs student teams with small and medium-sized businesses in Waterloo Region, according to the university and Communitech. The program is part of the Waterloo Region AI Coalition, a broader local effort to speed practical AI adoption. Communitech and the university said the model is designed around business problems such as automation, workflow redesign and productivity gains, rather than classroom exercises. ### Who is running the program, and who gets matched with whom? Communitech is running AI@WORK and matching businesses with students from three local post-secondary institutions: the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College. On its program page, Communitech says the student teams are supported by an AI partner and work on one defined problem tied to business priorities. The University of Waterloo said many of the students involved come from its co-op program, which the school described as a source of technical talent for local employers. (uwaterloo.ca) The university said the placements are meant to put students “at the centre” of local AI adoption efforts. ### What are the students expected to build inside those companies? AI@WORK is structured around building “real AI solutions inside real companies,” according to Communitech’s program description. (communitech.ca) The organization says each project starts with a clearly scoped problem, and students work with business and technical leaders to build, deploy and validate one tool in a real operating environment. The University of Waterloo said student teams will develop custom software using AI tools and design agentic workflows that automate routine processes and augment human work. (uwaterloo.ca) Communitech’s coalition page says projects can range from workflow automation to predictive maintenance, depending on the company’s needs. ### Why are local businesses being targeted through this model? (communitech.ca) Communitech CEO Sheldon McCormick said the program is intended to connect technical talent coming out of Waterloo directly with businesses that need help adopting AI. In comments published by the university, McCormick said many small and medium-sized businesses, particularly in construction and manufacturing, face barriers to adopting AI because they lack access to talent. (uwaterloo.ca) Communitech’s coalition page says the program is specifically designed for Waterloo Region companies with fewer than 500 employees, with construction, manufacturing and healthcare named as target sectors. The organization says the pitch to employers is faster deployment and lower-cost access to specialized technical talent than traditional hiring or consulting. ### How is this different from a standard co-op placement? (uwaterloo.ca) The University of Waterloo said AI@WORK gives students more agency than a conventional co-op assignment. In the university’s account, student teams are expected not only to take direction from employers but also to design solutions and deliver working tools tied to productivity and competitiveness. Communitech says project progress is measured against defined success metrics from the start, including reduced manual work, improved model performance or new capabilities. (communitech.ca) The group describes the work as outcome-based, with impact tracked through business KPIs rather than hours logged. ### What are officials saying this could lead to next? Sheldon McCormick said the program could also feed new company creation if students discover that a tool built for one employer can be scaled to other customers. (uwaterloo.ca) In the university’s report, he said that is where “new ventures come from.” The Waterloo Region AI Coalition says its broader goal is to make the region a model for community-level AI adoption in Canada. (communitech.ca) Communitech says businesses interested in participating can apply through the AI@WORK page, where the next step is to scope a problem, match with a student team, build the tool and measure results. (uwaterloo.ca)