Brock LINC has created a new Brock Student Freelance Directory for those seeking help from a student for small projects. A new directory is now available to connect people requiring short-term support for small projects with students ready to help.
Created by Brock LINC, the Student Freelance Directory lists current Brock students available for hire.
“It’s a platform helping people at Brock and in the Niagara community to make connections and find students based on the kinds of skills they’re looking for,” says Brock LINC Executive Director Farzana Crocco.
Students wanting to be included in the directory fill out a form identifying their skill categories and other information, while businesses, groups or individuals looking for an extra hand can search the directory and connect directly with the student freelancer.
The Brock Student Freelance Directory is a win-win situation for both parties, says Crocco.
“It’s an opportunity for students to leverage their skills outside of the classroom, make connections in the community or explore an entrepreneurial career path that they may not have considered,” says Crocco.
“For Brock and Niagara community members, it’s an easy way to tap into Brock students’ talent for small projects,” she says. “If the project is bigger than initially anticipated, it’s a great opportunity to connect with Brock’s Co-op, Career and Experiential Education office.”
Brock LINC Program Manager Cassie Conte says the directory is rapidly building a diverse pool of talent.
“There’s quite a wide variety of skills now,” she says. “Students have identified skills in videography, languages, marketing, creative writing, prototyping, 3D design, coding, GIS mapping, bookkeeping, accounting, financial reporting, and many others,” she says.
Crocco says freelancers aren’t vetted, and that the platform is “simply a way to facilitate connections.”
It’s up to the student and individual to negotiate the terms of the assignment, and the assignments aren’t meant to replace co-op or other types of longer-term employment, she says.
The idea of the Student Freelance Directory evolved from requests Brock and Niagara community members made while interacting with the Brock LINC, and the Library’s Makerspace and Digital Scholarship Lab, says Crocco.
The requests were for specific tasks, such as help with editing a podcast or creating a Shopify site, not enough work for a co-op or part-time position, she says.
After searching through their networks on a case-by-case basis, Brock LINC decided to standardize the process, says Crocco.
For questions, contact Conte at cconte@brocku.ca
