Students, Community & Coworking
Community is one of our defining values. We are always looking for ways to grow and offer others ways to succeed as our business of providing office and warehouse space is impacted by the new ways people need to work.
One change that will surprise many businesses worldwide is that remote work, works. The genie is out of the bottle, and now so many of us have found that we have flexible work location options. While many companies have been forced into this choice, I suspect they are pleasantly surprised how much productivity they are getting from their teams.
When the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic were recognized, the education system was one of the first to see the significant effects of students sent home to study online. The impact of this change to online studies has been mixed, with up to 30% excelling in some courses, while another 30% are struggling with the change. The factors that make online studies challenging for some can also affect that ‘new to remote’ workforce.
When I initially raised the concept of coworking in Cochrane 2016, it was to meet our remote and flexible workspace business community’s needs. Jump forward to 2020, and now is the time to bring the coworking benefits in our Corner community to Cochrane’s post-secondary students.
We are dedicating some space for use as study hall areas to have somewhere that our students can focus, get a change of scenery, and potentially support each other. Whether someone is looking for a relatively isolated desk and allows them to throw on some headphones and power through or need somewhere a little more open with some background sound and the chance for the occasional chat…The Corner has you covered.
The most significant benefit to both our business and student members will be connecting and networking. Imagine studying engineering and running into an engineer in the next room, working on several local civic projects. Why not grab a few students who live locally and are in the same classes, set up a cohort and work together for a day in one of the team office spaces.
Regardless of where you’ll work when you join us, our focus is your safety and comfort. We are regularly cleaning and sanitizing, ensuring adequate spacing between desks, and capping the number of members working at The Corner each day. We have also pledged to be Open & Safe, adhering to the Town of Cochrane’s health safety standards.
I recently spoke with the Cochrane Times about how The Corner is supporting students, read more here -> New university student program at local coworking space
Founder, community builder & coworking catalyst