Cooperative Education or co-op is the work placement offered by the school to students while completing the degree which the students must take advantage of. This can either be mandatory or optional depending on the program and the school. Either way, if there’s a chance for a student to undergo this program, they should consider grabbing the opportunity because of its benefits which we have listed down for you.

1. Co-op Provides Relevant Work Experience

The co-op program gives the student the opportunity to work for 420 hours full time in a span of four months. Depending on the school, this can also be completed while doing part-time work within a period longer than four months. 

Since the co-op program is regulated by the school, the students are assured that the duties and job specifications are related to the program they are completing. This makes their future employability higher because they have satisfied the requirement for both the education and exposure required for certain jobs. This is also very important especially for international students who would want to pursue a career in the country where they are studying since this work experience can be combined with the experience they gained in their home country. If in case their experience gained outside the country they are enrolled in is not recognized, this will help them start fresh and jumpstart their career in the new country. 

2. Networking Opportunity through Co-op

The co-op program enables the school to partner with different employers. Through the years, this partnership has enabled the school to build a robust network with public and private companies which benefits the students and help them gain a network of future employers. Without the school’s connection to the different industries, they will not be able to send their students to work placements in different companies. In return, the companies also gain something from this program as they are able to filter students based on their competencies and shortlist those who could be their prospects in their future hiring. 

The student, on the other hand, also benefits from this opportunity because there is a chance that the companies where they had their co-op will also offer them employment after the completion of their studies. That's why it is important for the students to also give their best during their co-op placements. It is also advisable for the students to join networking sessions with some of the industry leaders and big companies who are recipients of the co-op program. 

3. Opportunity to Earn while Studying

Since co-op provides working opportunities for the students, most of the work placements in co-op are paid which gives the students a chance to earn and save money while learning. The pay will depend on the existing regulations in the country or state where the employment will be done and this may also vary depending on the agreement between the school and the company. This is an additional bonus on top of the above mentioned benefits. 

4. Co-op Prepares Students to Real-Life Working Scenario

Co-op helps students transition to the life they will face after getting their degree and completing their program. This could be beneficial to the students because the life in school differs completely at work. At work, there will be cultural diversity, politics, required work ethics, and policies in place and co-op is an effective way to prepare the students for the future as this will give them an opportunity to immerse themselves in these settings. This will also help the student integrate what they learned from school and apply it in real-life which will help them acquire the skills they need that will help them land a job after school. Some skills they will learn from co-op can not be acquired in school thus co-op is really value adding in terms of increasing their future employability. 

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