Co-op programs gain appeal amid rising cost of living, labour shortage
Companies also hire co-op students as a way of bringing fresh ideas and young workers into the workplace.
In her final years of high school, teachers warned Ainsley Wallace and her classmates that going to university wouldn’t guarantee them a dream job.
“They kind of scared us a bit and told us that getting a degree doesn’t mean you’ll automatically get a good job,” said Wallace, originally from Ottawa and now a student at Dalhousie University in Halifax.
“I decided to apply for a co-op program so I could graduate with some work experience and be able to compete for better jobs.”
Canada is a leader in co-operative education, a learning model that alternates between academic and paid work terms.
It’s a form of so-called work integrated learning, an umbrella term that also includes other approaches to experiential learning like apprenticeships, internships and clinical placements.
Co-op programs can vary across the country, but all involve work related to a student’s field of study.
Employers gain access to affordable and energetic young talent, while students get hands-on experience and earn money.
“It’s earn while you learn,” said Robert Wooden, director of Management Career Services at Dalhousie University. “You’re learning in the classroom but you’re also earning an income during work terms.”
The rising cost of living and higher tuition fees have made co-op programs increasingly appealing for students.
Tuition costs have nearly doubled over the last 20 years, according to Statistics Canada, while the cost of housing, food and other basic living expenses have also increased drastically.
Wallace, currently working for Halifax-based mentorship organization EnPoint as a marketing and business growth intern, said being able to earn cash while attending university was a major draw.
“I’m fully on student loans,” she said. “It’s definitely been so helpful to be able to make an income for four months straight during these internships.”
Making sure students are paid is one of the requirements of co-op accreditation, said Wooden, who also chairs the Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada Accreditation Council.
Companies also hire co-op students as a way of bringing fresh ideas and young workers into the workplace.
“Employers like the co-op model because they see it as a talent pipeline,” said Alice Hsiung, manager of career development projects and operations at Centennial College in Toronto, which offers co-op programs for students in different disciplines, including business, engineering technology, applied science and transportation.
“Some even offer students part-time jobs when they return to school at the end of a term and full-time positions once they graduate.”
Although co-op programs have gained an edge amid the rising cost of living, they have a long history in Canada.
The University of Waterloo has been running co-operative education programs since the school was founded 65 years ago.
Its co-op program gained worldwide attention during the rise of BlackBerry, formerly Research In Motion, which drew heavily on the school’s engineering and computer science talent.
But co-op programs aren’t just for engineers and computer science students, said Norah McRae, associate provost of Co-operative and Experiential Education at the University of Waterloo.
Still, despite the benefits of co-op programs, there are drawbacks.
Sometimes job offers are far from where the university or college is located.
“If you’re an industrial engineering student, you’re not going to step outside your apartment and walk to work. There is no manufacturing plant in downtown Halifax.” Wooden said.
