With no end in sight to college strike in Ontario, some Algonquin students are taking a proactive approach to hands-on learning.  And some employers are their doors to that kind of thinking.  The classroom door may be locked for this Algonquin journalism student.

But the studio door is open.  Jaden Lee-Lincoln is a first year Journalism student at Algonquin, visiting her “new” classroom for the next little while as she job shadows those in the field.

Today, she is with New Country 94's Mary Anne Ivison.

“As much as school is important, I’ve learned so much being in the field,” says Lee-Lincoln, “Again, it’s hands on things that they don't teach you in class.”

As college faculty and staff walk the picket line across Ontario, students are doing what they can to keep current with their studies during what may be a protracted strike.

“All we have is time right now,” says first year Public Relations student Lisa Sundue, working at Algonquin with some of her fellow classmates, “so that's what we're doing.”

The owner of Hair Essentials, a hair salon in Carleton Place is offering hairstyling students something to do with all that time.  Owner Norma Sweeney has been in the business for 35 years and says she’s got lots to teach eager students.

“The poor kids are sitting there not learning anything,” Sweeney says, “and it’s no fault of theirs that they are stuck in this positon.I do not expect someone to come in here and clean, scrub the floors or shampoo hair.  That's not what this is about; it's to come in and learn.”

Sweeney's offer was immediately snatched up by a couple of students.  One comes in for an interview tomorrow.

 And the communications department at the Queensway Carleton Hospital netted a flood of interest from public relations and communications' students after a tweet yesterday.

“Are there any @AlgonquinColleg students looking for some volunteer work? We could use some help in PR, writing, multimedia, or design, the tweet said.

.“We had a fantastic response,” says Justin Wood with the communications department at the hospital, “Within 24 hours, 7 or 8 people messaged us, too many that we aren't able to fill all the positions unfortunately.”

“You hear it all the time that employers want Algonquin grads,” says Victoria Ventura, the president of Algonquin’s Students’ Association, “and that just goes to show you, they haven't even graduated yet and they're already finding a place in staff for Algonquin students so that's wonderful.”

Some are warning students to be wary of working for free. 

But some of the students are hoping the connections they make now may mean employment down the road.