Investing in tomorrow’s talent through co-op
By: Matthew King (he/him)
champion Murray Gamble believes sustained support for co-op is the key to Canada’s talent future—and now is the time to give back.
Murray Gamble has always believed in building for the long term. As president of the and Chair of the University of ݮƵ’s Board of Governors, he’s had a front-row seat to the kind of innovation and ambition that emerges when education and industry work together. That collaboration is best witnessed with co-operative education at ݮƵ. For Gamble, co-op is more than a hiring tool—it’s a strategy for shaping the future.
“Co-op is a great way to find the leaders of tomorrow,” says Gamble. “Many of our companies are run by University of ݮƵ graduates, and many of the partners in the firm are ݮƵ graduates.”
C3, like many of ݮƵ’s co-op employers, is based in the Kitchener-ݮƵ region and boasts many alumni who are now employees.
That long-standing connection has given Gamble a deep appreciation for the unique value ݮƵ’s co-op program offers. Not only in helping businesses meet their immediate staffing needs but in forming a resilient, adaptable talent conduit.
“We see the co-op program providing value with good employees for that term, but we look at it broader than that – it's about finding the talent for tomorrow,” Gamble says.
Murray Gamble, C3 group of companies president
Future-focused philanthropy
It’s this future-focused perspective that shapes his view of philanthropy. Giving back isn’t just about generosity—it’s about vision.
“I look at it in two ways: there is the philanthropic part of it, but there is also the investment part of it. When it comes to putting money into the co-op system, I look at it as an investment into a system that is going to benefit our organization and society in general,” Gamble says.
His own company’s experience with ݮƵ co-op students reflects that return on investment.
“When a relatively small firm like ours develops a relationship with the University of ݮƵ, we keep coming back. We become embedded,” Gamble says. “We build relationships, and those relationships lead to other relationships.”
Developing a habit of giving
According to Gamble, that spirit of long-term commitment is essential—not just for companies, but for individuals. Gamble believes that supporting the co-op program should become a shared habit, especially among the thousands of employers who already benefit.
It’s that small amount from a large number of people over time. It’s forming a habit of including that one per cent in your budget to give back to build a program that everyone benefits from.
The cumulative impact of sustained, broad-based giving, Gamble suggests, is more powerful than waiting for a few large donors to lead the way.
"You can’t go out and ask for millions of dollars from people, because that isn’t just going to happen. As one of many thousands of employers, we have the advantage of numbers in that we can each do our small part to help in a big way,” Gamble says. “For me, it is much more important to have engagement, even if it is relatively modest, with a large number.”
Gamble’s message to fellow employers and alumni is clear: if the co-op program is creating value for you, find a way to give back—not once, but regularly. He believes building a stronger future isn’t just the university’s job, it belongs to everyone who believes in Co-operative and Experiential Education.