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Wooah, hey! I'm Cody Banks. You may know me from 88.3 CJIQ,
and not that movie that came out in 2003. But anyway, you're probably here
to learn a little bit more about co-op.
Like, what exactly is co-op? Well, I'll tell you what.
Why don't we take a look at this photo montage and you can find out more.
Co-op program combines academic study with work experience.
Co-op provides you the opportunity to go to school for a certain number of terms,
then apply skills you learned in class to the workplace.
You'll be involved in real, hands on work that's related to your program.
You not only get the chance to explore a new work environment and career options
in co-op, but for most programs, you'll also get paid.
Now that's a big plus when you have tuition to pay.
Now let's take a look at these super cool student testimonials.
"Well, for my co-op experience I worked at the Hamilton family health team as
the health informatics assistant."
"Currently I am in the Administrative Marketing co-op program.
I graduated this year actually, and the co-op job I had was Golden Windows.
They're a window and door company."
"I'm actually, uhm, a graduate of the electrical technician program.
It was a dual credit apprenticeship and a co-op program as well."
"I'm in electronics engineering telecommunications or telecommunications engineering.
And basically my job was working as a field engineer with Raytheon."
"I'm currently in the post graduate human resource management.
I finished the in-class part in May.
And I started working in a manufacturing company doing HR."
"The co-op position was with Conestoga College.
I was working for them as an electrical co-op student.
So basically worked with their main electrician doing day to day tasks."
"The way I got the job was through the Conestoga website, Career Services.
I saw the posting online there, and then I uh filled out a cover
letter and resume and sent it in."
"So, you formulate a package, and your package has your resume and your cover letter in it"
"A bunch of us applied and went through the interview process."
"I got called in to a first interview at Conestoga College and a second interview."
"Then we had the interview process and I ended up getting hired where I did."
"I got to work with nurses, dieticians, and people in my field- Health Informatics."
"As a field engineer I was deployed to different sites,
so England was one and Panama was the other one."
"The highlights were definitely working with the people.
The work environment was great. It was positive, friendly."
"I made many friends, uhm, during the in-class. I learned a lot.
It definitely prepared me for the actual co-op opportunity."
"It was really good because it challenges you a lot.
The things that seem easy in school when you're on a set timeline,
out in the field, you know, there's a lot of responsibility with that."
"It was pretty interesting to be on your own in a different country.
Uh, they gave me, the company supplied me with pretty much hotel, uh, transportation,
and so like a car and meals. They were all expensed."
"There's a lot of stuff to keep on track and keep on top of.
I was kind of surprised by the amount actually,
compared to what I'm used to in school."
"Most of these were radar sites that were installed.
It wasn't a group or a team of anybody, it was just me, on my own,
just managing these sites and making sure everything was right representing Raytheon,
the Canadian branch of it.
As well as just living on my own.
I was living with my family for a while and then next thing you know
I have to go overseas on my own."
"Every day there's a new challenge to be faced, and uhm, it's good because it keeps me on
my feet."
"It really got my stuff intact because right now I'm a lot more organized with
my job I have currently."
"Not only have I learned from in-class theory and being in the work force but I
learned a lot about myself, and my strengths and weaknesses."
"If it had not been for the co-op experience, you've always got that doubt as a student-
Am I in the right field? Am I doing the right thing?
Uhm, the co-op experience really helped me realized this is what I want to be doing,
I am in the right field."
"You become more social I'd say, because you're looking to make friends
and everything's new so everything feels like a fresh start as well.
So if anyone gets the opportunity I recommend it for sure."
"There's so many different fields and so many different areas you can get into.
It really narrowed it down to what I wanted to do."
"I would definitely recommend this opportunity to anybody."
"You go into a co-op placement they are dedicated to giving you the experience that will provide
ou with skills and the knowledge that you need
to be successful in the future."
"Cause I mean your co-op position there is to learn and, uh, you know,
you want to learn the best you can on your co-op."
"You're not only getting the work experience but you're getting good quality work experience
that you wouldn't get anywhere else."
So how can I find out more about a specific co-op program?
Well let's just click on this nice shiny browser icon here.
Check out Conestoga's website.
It lists all co-op programs, there admission requirements,
the number of co-op work terms for each program and the academic
eligibility requirements in order to participate in a co-op work term.
Did you know that once you're enrolled in a co-op program,
you still have to maintain specific academic standards in order to be
eligible for your next co-op term?
This policy ensures that our students are well
prepared to perform to the best of their
ability while out on co-op.
"Chewing noises." The world is filled with many
questions such as- Why is the sky blue?
How does math work?
What was in that sandwich that I was just eating?
All of those I have to get back to a little bit later,
but what I can answer for you right now is- What are the benefits of co-op?
"You can gain valuable work experience."
"Explore your career options."
"Network with professionals."
"Apply in-class learning to practical situations."
"Increase your competitiveness in the marketplace."
"Earn a salary to help pay for your education."
"Chewing noises."
Mmm. Graduating with a co-op certified diploma is an awesome accomplishment.
You'll have gained work experience, and even shown employers that you
are able to do it all, while balancing school work. Good Job!
Co-op at Conestoga College is neither a placement nor a matchmaking service.
It's a partnership between the college, the student, and the employer community.
Collaboration and communication are some of the keys to success in this partnership.
The co-op office operates using a team approach to educate students and provide
ongoing support while students gain the skills and job search tools that are
necessary to find employment.
Oh, ha, hey, come on with me I 'gotta' show you something.
'Kay', come on now, don't be shy.
Let's go. So right here is the co-op offices.
Inside you'll be able to meet the awesome people behind the program.
So why don't you just come on in and book an appointment,
if you have any questions about your career path or your educational direction.
"Each co-op student is assigned an Employment Advisor.
This is your primary contact while you are a co-op student here."
"The Employment Advisor also facilitates the career development course which prepares
students to go out on their work terms.
Specifically helps students with resumes, cover letters, interview skills and
preparing you for the co-op work term."
"Employment Advisors are available to meet with students one on one to look at their
job search documents as well as plan and execute a targeted job search."
"Co-op students are expected to be an active member of the co-op process.
This includes using all the resources available through the co-op office.
The primary form of communication between students and the co-op office is email."
"The advisor maintains contact with the student throughout the work term by
evaluating the work term reporting course and offering ongoing feedback."
"The student employment services officer is a liaison between the employer and student
throughout the job posting process."
"Employer Relations Consultants work directly with employers to market Conestoga
College programs, to generate job opportunities for co-op students non-co-op students and
graduates."
"The most successful co-op students are those that get started on their job search early,
they don't procrastinate, they stay well connected with the co-op office
and they demonstrate enthusiasm and interest in their co-op program."
"Applying for co-op jobs is a competitive process.
The co-op office can't guarantee that everyone will be able to secure a co-op job.
Therefore it's essential for students to do some research in their own field of study,
to make sure they maintain realistic expectations of the job market."
"MyCareer is an employment online job search site.
It is available to students through the student portal and it is a valuable tool in employment
job search, and also other career resources."
Take a look at our super fancy animated graphic. The first step is to pass the co-op and career
preparation course and maintain the academic eligibility requirements set out for your
program.
The eligibility requirements can be found on the
college website in MyCareer and are addressed
during co-op and career preparation course. The second step is to secure a co-op position.
The co-op office needs to know your plans during the job search term, so keep your
advisor up-to-date.
Co-op jobs are posted on MyCareer, one semester prior to the work term.
The third step is to complete and submit a work term agreement form,
which outlines the responsibilities of the position,
start and end dates for the work term,
along with your wages.
The final step is to complete the work term reporting course for each work term.
The combination of successful work experience, along with the completion of work term reporting,
equals a co-op work term credit.
How much will I get paid on co-op? Wages are typically pre-established by
the employer but are sometimes negotiated at the time of the job offer.
Co-op students are expected to be flexible concerning wages and approach the work
term as a learning experience, not as a money making venture.
Will I have to move to get a job?
Students are expected to consider out of town opportunities with the possibility of
relocation or commuting to increase their employment prospect. Students who open up
their job search to include several different communities meet with greater success.
How many hours to I need to get my credit?
The hours required for co-op vary but can be found on the college website under co-op
courses for each co-op program.
If you have any questions about the hours needed,
check with your Advisor.
Even if you've reached the required number of hours before the end of your co-op semester,
you must fulfil your commitment to the employer.
Leaving your work term before the finish date will result in a failed work term. When do
I
have to submit my work term agreement form?
The work term agreement form must be submitted to your Employment Advisor for approval prior
to beginning work.
When is the last day for me to find a job?
For most programs you'll have 4-6 weeks to secure employment and still have enough hours
to fulfil the co-op requirements.
If your work term falls at the end of the academic study,
then you'll have 6 months to begin a work term.
Make sure you know the co-op deadline date, don't assume.
What happens if I don't get a job in my work term?
Co-op work terms are to be treated like any other course within your program.
They're not optional.
Students are required to actively search and compete for co-op jobs
for every co-op term in their program.
Sometimes however, circumstances beyond our control will make securing employment
very challenging. One work term can only be deferred until the end of academics.
This would delay graduation by a year, if two work terms are missed students
are no longer permitted to continue in their co-op program.
That's why it's critical to work hard to secure co-op employment for each work term.
I'm in a program with a co-op option, how do I apply?
Some programs at Conestoga have a co-op option.
This means that after starting the program, students can decide if they want to move
into the co-op stream.
Your Employment Advisor will visit one of your
classes to give you details about the
application process.
An application form and fee must be submitted to the registrar's
office by the deadline date in order to be eligible.
Students must first achieve academic requirements before they can be
accepted into co-op.
There are limited seats in the co-op program so competition can be tough.
Now we hope that you found this video to be both informative and inspiring.
Co-operative Education is a practical and a terrific way to open many doors
along your career path.
So what are you waiting for, I found my co-op job, what are you doing?
If your require additional information about co-op at Conestoga,
check out MyCareer through the student portal or drop by Co-op & Career Services.
Cody Banks out.