A new directory is now available to connect people requiring short-term support for small projects with students ready to help.<\/p>\n
Created by Brock LINC, the Student Freelance Directory<\/a> lists current Brock students available for hire.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s 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,\u201d says Brock LINC Executive Director Farzana Crocco.<\/p>\n Students wanting to be included in the directory fill out a form<\/a> identifying their skill categories and other information, while businesses, groups or individuals looking for an extra hand can search the directory<\/a> and connect directly with the student freelancer.<\/p>\n The Brock Student Freelance Directory is a win-win situation for both parties, says Crocco.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s 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,\u201d says Crocco.<\/p>\n \u201cFor Brock and Niagara community members, it\u2019s an easy way to tap into Brock students\u2019 talent for small projects,\u201d she says. \u201cIf the project is bigger than initially anticipated, it\u2019s a great opportunity to connect with Brock\u2019s Co-op, Career and Experiential Education office.\u201d<\/p>\n Brock LINC Program Manager Cassie Conte says the directory is rapidly building a diverse pool of talent.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s quite a wide variety of skills now,\u201d she says. \u201cStudents have identified skills in videography, languages, marketing, creative writing, prototyping, 3D design, coding, GIS mapping, bookkeeping, accounting, financial reporting, and many others,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Crocco says freelancers aren\u2019t vetted, and that the platform is \u201csimply a way to facilitate connections.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s up to the student and individual to negotiate the terms of the assignment, and the assignments aren\u2019t meant to replace co-op or other types of longer-term employment, she says.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s Makerspace and Digital Scholarship Lab, says Crocco.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n After searching through their networks on a case-by-case basis, Brock LINC decided to standardize the process, says Crocco.<\/p>\n