David Dobrowolski, MPPA (Co-op)
Hello, my name is David Dobrowolski. I am in my last year of the Master of Public Policy and Administration program at Carleton University. I will be graduating this winter, 2023! During my two years in the MPPA program, the School of Public Policy and Administration has given me and other students many opportunities to succeed and get involved in the real-world applications of our programs. This includes extensive co-op placement opportunities. I worked as a Junior Policy Analyst for the RCMP for two years.
Anytime I reflect upon my co-op work terms, I value the real-world work experience I gained and enhance the knowledge obtained through the MPPA. For instance, I cherished moments where I learned about various roles within my department and how they contribute to propelling certain priorities. Meanwhile, this is highly correlated with numerous MPPA courses and course themes through which I learned about governmental institutions and their actors and how they impact public policies. Additionally, I greatly valued my co-op placements for permitting me to further my ability to deliver succinctly written documents when dealing with large amounts of information.
Lastly, the skills acquired through my co-op experience will impact my professional career following graduation in a few ways. Firstly, I feel that I have become a more competitive candidate when applying for public sector jobs with the federal government because of the skills I have picked up through my co-op and MPPA. Secondly, given that many skills I learned correlated with workplace tasks that can be expected in the federal public service, possessing these abilities will permit me to be an effective employee. Finally, my co-op placements provided insights on department-specific policies and processes, which is an asset for a graduating student as it offers the prospect of continuing employment with the organization.