CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION

Website: www.ufv.ca/jobs

Co-operative Education combines full-time study and full-time, study-related employment. It is presently an option within all Faculties at UCFV. Students should contact the Co-op Centre for a current list of program offerings.

Co-operative Education offers many benefits for students:

• Learning and applying job search skills through pre-employment seminars and a competitive job interview process.
• Testing and refining career choices in the context of the workplace.
• Gaining valuable on-the-job experience in their chosen field, which can enhance post-graduation employability, and
• earning competitive entry-level wages, which can help to offset educational costs and reduce dependence on student loans and part-time employment during study terms.

Co-op students must be engaged in productive, study- related work rather than merely observing others at work. The Co-op staff develop most of the placement opportunities; student-generated jobs are encouraged, and must be approved as suitable learning experiences by the Co-op coordinator. Appropriate on-the-job accommodations will be implemented for students with disabilities.

Job descriptions are emailed to all qualified Co-op Ed students. Eligible students compete for placements through an interview process coordinated by the Co-op staff. Employers make the interview and hiring decisions. The staff also monitors the progress of each student on the job, through telephone contact and at least one visit to each work site.

The Co-operative Education staff are located within the Career Centre (formerly Co-operative Education and Employment Services) (see also Career Centre section).

Length

Each Co-op work term is generally four months in length. In addition to specified program courses, three work terms (diploma) plus three work terms (degree) are normally completed to earn a Co-operative Education designation. This extends the duration of the program by at least one semester (diploma) or two semesters (degree).

After completing the equivalent of a first year of study, co-op students alternate between semesters of full-time study and full-time paid work experience employment.

A typical study-work schedule is:

* These study and work term sequences will vary for students entering into a UCFV Co-op Ed option at the third-year level.

Location

Many Co-op positions are situated in the central and upper Fraser Valley; however, students should give serious consideration to the possibility of relocation for the work term period. Co-op students may also work in the Lower Mainland and other areas of B.C. Students willing to commute or relocate will have access to the widest range of work experience opportunities. Questions regarding relocation should be discussed with the Co-op Ed staff.

Entrance requirements

To apply for the co-op option, students must complete an application form that is available online at www.ufv.ca/jobs. Applications are accepted in the Fall semester. The deadline to apply is September 30.

To qualify for the first work-term placement, students must:

• complete a Co-op Ed online application form by September 30.
• attend an interview/orientation with Co-op Ed staff to determine level of interest and ensure that the option is understood.
• be enrolled full-time in the diploma or degree program:
• for Science students, complete the equivalent of 25 second-year credits from courses listed in General Studies, the Associate of Science or Bachelor of Science degrees, and identify with at least one of the following disciplines: Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Math/Statistics. (See Science, Health, and Human Services section for further details.)
• for Arts students, complete the first year of study (30-45 credits) within one year prior to placement, and identify with at least one Arts discipline. (See Arts section for further details.)
• attend a scheduled pre-employment seminar.
• have a GPA of at least 2.33 (C+) for diploma or 2.67 (B-) for degree.
• Engineering Transfer students may qualify after completing credits. Contact the Co-op Ed department for further information.

Students entering into a UCFV Co-op Ed option at the third-year level should contact the Centre for requirements as they may vary from the above.

Note: To qualify for subsequent Co-op work terms, students must:

• have successfully completed all previous courses in their program prior to placement
• maintain a GPA of at least 2.33 (C+) for diploma or 2.67 (B-) for degree
• receive satisfactory evaluations from designated work-site supervisors in each work term
• submit a satisfactory graded work report after each work term.

Fees and additional costs

Fees for Co-op work terms are currently under review. For further information, please contact the Career Centre.

For more information

The Career Centre (formerly Co-operative Education and Employment Services) is located on the Abbotsford campus in Room B238. Staff can be reached through the following contact information:

Telephone: 604-854-4507
Fax: 604-870-JOBS (5627)
email: jobs@ufv.ca

Faculty and staff

Duncan Jeffries, BSc, MSc, (UBC), Director
Laura Dunn, Administrative Assistant
Susan Francis, BBA (UCFV), Coordinator
Robert Mitchell, Coordinator
Alyson Schimmelmann, BBA (UCFV), Coordinator

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