What is Co-Operative Education?

Co-operative Education provides students preparing for college, university, an apprenticeship, or the workplace, with the opportunity for experiential learning, which is learning acquired through practical experiences.

Students complete a cooperative education program designed to suit the student’s strengths, interests, and needs and to enhance the student’s preparation for the future.

Cooperative education courses, which are connected to a course the student has already taken, include:

• a classroom component, made up of pre-placement classes (where students prepare for work, learning about health & safety, their rights and responsibilities as workers, privacy and confidentiality etc.) and integration activities (where students share and analyse their placement experiences with their teachers and peers)

• a placement component, which will provide students with challenging opportunities to apply and extend the knowledge, and practise and refine the skills, acquired in their related course, and to demonstrate achievement of placement expectations that reflect current workplace practices and standards

Students can apply two co-op credits towards their compulsory high school graduation requirements, with no limit on earning optional co-op credits.

Students have the opportunity to:

• Experience hands-on learning

• “Test-drive” career options

• See the relevance of their classroom learning

• Develop the essential skills and habits required in the workplace

• Gain valuable work experience to help build a resumé for postsecondary programs and future employment

What Types of Placements are Available?

• Education-Elementary school or daycare, Big Brothers Big Sisters

• Health Care-Long term care home, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy clinic, Dentist office, Guelph Medical Imaging

• Trades-auto shop, homebuilders, renovation companies, machine shop, greenhouse, hair salon or barbershop

• Hospitality-restaurants, bakeries, catering companies

• Arts-Guelph Little Theatre, Play with Clay, Guelph Arts Council, Ed Video

• Business-marketing, banking, office administration, human resources, accounting

• Social Work-Guelph Food Bank, Hope House

• Computers and Information Technology - IT help desk, hardware repair, programming

• Science and Engineering- science lab, University of Guelph, engineering firm

Students select co-op when doing course selection and can book a Guidance appointment to discuss co-op options.

Are you Interested in Hosting a GCVI Co-op Student?

We are always looking for community partners to mentor our students and provide them with experiential learning opportunities. Co-op has numerous benefits to employers including:

• gaining access to a diverse group of talented and motivated students

• evaluating on the job performance for future openings and apprenticeships

• receiving additional general or project support

• being rejuvenated as students bring new ideas, fresh perspectives and enthusiasm, instill positive attitudes towards work,

  and support skill development in young people

• supporting the wellbeing of the entire community

Please see our Employer Handbook for more information and contact Dawn Nicholson, dawn.nicholson@ugdsb.on.ca to get involved.