Cambrian College - Co-op Education

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Co-op Education

Co-Op Opportunities (SkyTech)

The Skills Technology Institute (SkyTech) and PowerTech sponsors qualified Co-Op Diploma Apprenticeship students to work as apprentices on a 16-week cooperative work term following their first and second academic years. For further information, visit SkyTech.

Cooperative education integrates a student's academic study with on-the-job work experience. It allows students to obtain professional experience in their specific field of study. This is done by alternating periods of on-campus study with work experience in business, industry, and government. Co-op helps bridge the gap between the classroom and work.

Co-op work terms are generally four months in duration. The majority are in Ontario, but they could be anywhere in Canada where a suitable job is available.

The key lies in matching an employer who can offer a productive, and vocationally relevant work experience with a capable and skilled student. No student is sent out for a work term until he/she has the ability to be a productive employee.

The work terms form an essential component of the student's total academic program. A mandatory requirement for graduation, the work terms are evaluated by both the College and the employer in order to promote maximum learning on the part of the student.

Mandatory Co-ops
The opportunity for cooperative education exists in the following programs:
Physical Fitness Management
Chemical Engineering Technology - Lab and Process Control

Optional Co-ops
Cambrian also offers Co-op Diploma Apprenticeship programs in:
Electrical Techniques, Technician and Technology
Heavy Equipment Techniques and Technician
Industrial Mechanical Millwright Techniques and Technician
Powerline Technician
Welding and Fabrication Technician

Fieldwork/Placement

In many programs, students have the opportunity to gain practical work experience through a fieldwork or placement component. These are unpaid placements and vary in length from program to program.

For the student, this means:

practical, relevant work experience prior to graduation - a significant asset in today’s competitive job market;
a better understanding of classroom theory and its applications to the working environment;
increased self-confidence and maturity;
increased communication and decision-making skills;
access to the most up-to-date facilities;
first-hand experience with current policies, procedures, and technologies;
an increased awareness of potential career paths; and
enhanced employment opportunities and valuable job contacts.

For the employer, it means:

an excellent source of graduates with relevant on-the-job experience;
an opportunity to pre-screen potential employees for permanent positions and thus lower recruitment and training costs;
an opportunity to play an active role in the educational process which, in turn, provides better qualified personnel for the future; and
an effective means of satisfying short-term personnel needs and freeing highly paid personnel for other assignments.

Note:
A criminal record is a serious impediment to employment. Many employers insist on a clear record.