April 1, 2009

New sponsorships help student-athletes

Enterprise has partnered with the Dinos as both the presenting sponsor for the Academic All-Canadian Breakfast, which honours athletes with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 or higher, and the Senior’s Night game sponsor, where graduating athletes are recognized at their last home game of the season.

“Being partnered with the U of C, especially with athletics, allows us to really get involved in the community,” says Enterprise recruiter Timothy Aberg. “It’s more than just sponsoring an event; we like to be out there, attending the games and meeting the athletes as well.”

The sponsorships have proved to be beneficial to the graduating athletes as well. Aberg continues to be impressed by the calibre of students he meets in athletics and has already hired one recently graduated football player.

“We see students with real leadership qualities,” he says. “Being involved in athletics and having to juggle their sport, school, their social life and work are real life qualities that lend themselves well to the business world.”

Aberg says that when working with post secondary institutes many recruiters don’t consider athletics, but go straight to faculties such as business or engineering when looking to hire.

Sometimes student athletes find themselves without a job upon graduation even though they have all the skills an organization is looking for

As for hiring additional U of C graduates in the future? “Absolutely,” says Aberg. “It’s one of those things where once we’ve hired a few students, the dam breaks and we begin to hire more. We look forward to it.”