The next generation: Sollio Agriculture’s interns

All year round, Sollio Agriculture welcomes interns of all ages and backgrounds. Whether it is meeting potential interns at job fairs or recruiting youth with learning disabilities through its placement program, Sollio Agriculture has its door wide open to the next generation.

Fairouz, Thomas, Elizabeth and Najwa are all examples of the kinds of people the cooperative looks for: curious minds eager to learn more about one of the most important industries in the world.

Read on to meet these four promising young people.

An impressive variety of internships and jobs

At Sollio Agriculture, the job openings are as numerous as they are varied, and internship opportunities are no exception.

“Since September, I’ve been doing an industrial engineering internship. I work on audio-visual training for certain processes. It’s a first for me, and I had no idea how much I would like it. I didn’t see myself going into agriculture, but I’ve found it so interesting. I’m learning every day. I’m going to do my second internship at Sollio, too!” — Fairouz Boultifat

Elizabeth, like Fairouz, does not come from an agricultural background. But that hasn’t stopped the Concordia marketing student from diving into new experiences.

“At Sollio, there are so many different projects. At the outset, I had never worked in agriculture and knew nothing about it. The thing that drew me to this job was the hands-on aspect, which I had never experienced before. The people are so great in this industry. It’s easy to love your job. Sollio is also bigger than I thought. The company is important to farmers, of course, but it also has an impact on the whole industry.”

Thomas, on the other hand, found his place at Sollio through his teacher, in our placement program for youth with learning disabilities.

“I’m a day labourer, so I work all over the place. Sometimes I’m operating machinery, I’m making fences, I’m taking care of emptying bags of seed. They have me doing lots of different jobs, and I love it, because I love trying new things. If there’s no one on a machine, they will take the time to show me how to do it.”

In addition to field jobs working with crops and animals, and areas such as marketing and engineering, Sollio Agriculture offers internships in accounting, human resources, sales and even IT. The last department is where Najwa decided to start her career after graduation.

“I work as an IT analyst when there’s a bug in the computer system. Whenever there’s an issue, I analyze it and report to my colleagues. When I was a student, I didn’t realize that there were IT jobs in agriculture—it really surprised me! I’ve only worked at Sollio for four months, but I’m trying to get to know the company a bit more, beyond just its computer system.”

Welcoming workplaces are quality workplaces

It’s no secret—Sollio Agriculture is a great place to learn. Thomas, along with his friend and fellow intern, Louis, has found it easier than usual to open up.

“I was more closed off when I was younger. Now, it’s better. Normally it takes me a few days, but since I have Louis with me, it was easier for me to open up. My supervisor, Isabelle, is really nice, and she has helped me a lot. The people are welcoming, and they really take time to explain each task rather than throwing me into the deep end.”

For Najwa, the friendly environment validates her choice to start a career with the cooperative.

“Equity is an important value at Sollio, and I can see that. I have never felt discriminated against as a veiled Muslim woman. I like the fact that the values here are authentic. These are really welcoming, nice people. And the relationships between employees are great.”

Though still mid-internship, Fairouz also finds it easy to interact with her colleagues.

“It’s easy here, even as a woman. I like the work environment; the people are open, and they teach me things every day. I would be interested in staying with Sollio, even though I had no idea that I would be doing this. I can really see myself in agriculture. There are a lot of opportunities for growth and, as a result, a lot of projects. I’m interested in being a part of these kinds of projects and learning more about animal welfare and the food chain.”

* Fairouz Boultifat now has a permanent position (Article updated, December 2023)