Cooperative Education

​Cooperative education and work experience programs offer students another way of expanding their interests and exploring their career options. Cooperative education is a planned learning experience in the community that complements and enhances school courses and provides students with an opportunity to learn and to apply their skills and knowledge in practical situations. (Ministry of Education and Training)

 

Co-op has a classroom component and a placement component. Students choose a 2-credit co-op which takes place in the morning or the afternoon. Students must be enrolled in, or have already completed, a course in the senior division. This course is linked to the work placement experience. Regular "Integration Days" are to allow students to participate in thoughtful discussions and activities, which cause them to analyze the very reasons why and how people work, and the complex interactions which take place day to day in the workplace.

 

Through the placement component, students gain experience in the use of equipment which may not be available in school, and they are exposed to new techniques and expertise. Students have been placed in a wide variety of businesses such as legal firms, accounting offices, broadcasting companies, libraries, municipal and provincial departments, museums, day cares, hospitals, hotels, fitness clubs, schools, manufacturing companies, woodworking firms, architecture firms, and construction firms.

 

 

Due to the unique nature of the cooperative education experience, students must follow the application process outlined below.