PURSUITS 2011! - Business Education Council of Niagara

What is Cooperative Education
Co-ops are credit courses that allow you to combine academic study with practical
experience in the workplace. Co-op enables students to apply and refine the
knowledge and skills acquired in a related course.
Your program is individually designed by you, your guidance counsellor, and the
employer. The co-op experience should help you build on your strengths
and interests and meet your needs.
Students are generally out in a workplace for a half-day (morning or afternoon)
for a whole semester (The first semester is from September to January and the
second semester is from February to June). The tasks that are performed at the work
site relate to a course that is either being taken presently or in a previous semester.
Students will participate in a pre-placement orientation where they will discuss
resume writing, interview skills, health and safety before they are able to go
to a work site. Students will meet on a monthly basis with the co-op teacher
in a group session to reflect on what they are learning at the work site.
Who is involved
Cooperative Education is a partnership among education and business that involves
students, teachers, parents and employers.
Why take Cooperative Education
• To learn how to look for and write a resume, prepare for an interview, etc.
• To receive on-the-job training in a related subject area
• To expand on the skills studied at school in a practical way and use
equipment that may not be available in a secondary school
• To develop the attitude and skills necessary to work successfully
• To identify capabilities, limitations, strengths and future career direction
• To become more aware of the demands and responsibilities of employment
• To participate in an alternative method of earning credits
• To earn hours toward an apprenticeship
All secondary schools in the Niagara Region offer Cooperative Education.
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Cooperative Education
ON the JOB EXPERIENCE