SELECTION PROCESS

Upon selection of Cooperative Education on the option sheet, a counselling and interview process will be conducted in order to determine the applicant’s suitability for the programme.  The student's past performance, attendance, attitude, and career interest(s) will be considered in the selection for this programme. Following this, students will prepare a résumé and attend a competitive interview in order to secure the placement. Since this programme is based on reality, the school cannot guarantee that all students will succeed in being hired at the placement of their choice.  Once a student has been accepted at a workplace, it is expected that the student will fulfill his/her commitment to the programme. 

PRE - PLACEMENT ORIENTATION

A 15 - 20 hour in-school Pre-Placement Orientation will be taught at the beginning of the semester prior to students reporting to the workplace.  In addition to the knowledge and skills acquired in the prerequisite course, Career Studies, students will be expected to demonstrate self-assessment skills, job-readiness skills, and an understanding of the following:

• the school and placement expectations that they are to achieve in the cooperative education course
• workplace health and safety considerations specific to the placement
• issues related to confidentiality and the right to privacy as outlined in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
• work ethics and the responsible use of information technology
• the individual’s right to function in a climate free from harassment and abuse
• relevant sections of the Employment Standards Act and the Human Rights Act
• the history and role of labour unions
• appropriate ways of dealing with and reporting concerns or problems at the placement

INTEGRATION SESSIONS

Periodically throughout the semester, students will be required to attend integration sessions at St. Stephen’s for a total of 14 hours.  These sessions are designed to provide the students with an opportunity to

• relate the placement experience to the curriculum expectations of both the related course and the Cooperative Education course
• reflect on and analyse their placement experiences
• reinforce the job-skills theory acquired in the classroom and the skills, techniques, and principles learned at the placement

WORK PLACEMENT COMPONENT

The workplace component of the Cooperative Education programme provides students with challenging responsibilities and on - the - job experiences.  This component of a 2-credit programme must be 186 - 191 hours in length providing a total of 220 hours for the Cooperative Education course.  Cooperative Education teachers will monitor the student’s placement on an ongoing basis.

PERSONALIZED PLACEMENT LEARNING PLAN

In collaboration with students, subject teachers, and placement supervisors, Cooperative Education teachers prepare personalized placement learning plans that include a description of the curricular knowledge and skills and the employability skills that students will demonstrate at their placements in order to succeed.