In recent years, there has been a strong push for co-operative programs at universities across Canada. With high acceptance averages and additional fees, it would seem that co-op programs are suited for only the best students and must be providing something worthwhile to justify the expense. However, this has not always been the experience of students enrolled in co-op programs. In this article, we attempt to give a more objective view of co-op programs than those presented by universities that invariably include testimonials from successful co-op students and pictures of smartly-dressed students smiling while at work.

The pro's and con's of co-op programs

In order to assess a co-op program’s success, we must first determine what a student wishes to “get” out of the program. Typical goals include:

• use the co-op program’s ressources to more easily find jobs of interest
• explore different jobs of interest and employers to aid in deciding what to do with one’s life.
• developing resume and interview skills
  
• receive formal training to prepare for the workforce
  
• develop contacts in the workforce for later employment
  
• have a professional available for personal consultation
  
• obtain a “co-op” degree

And of course, this comes at a price:

• a time commitment to attend seminars, prepare resumes and attend interviews during the busy school year.
• most importantly, a substantial co-op fee!! (Typically, these fees range anywhere from 1500$–3000$, with some specialty programs charging substantially more). http://www.mohawkc.on.ca/external/ewo/coopfees.htm has a list of current fees from several major universities.

So the question is: “Do the benifits outweigh the costs?” The answer of course, depends on how well the program meets the goals listed above, and any additional goals a student may have for a co-op program.

Do co-op programs really help?

Helping you find a job
In terms of using the co-op programs ressources to more easily find jobs, this varies greatly depending on the university and the program you are in. The more established programs that have been around for 10+ years have a reasonable amount of ressources at their disposal to help their students find typical jobs in their field, placing management students with banks, or psychology students in hospitals for example. However, if you are looking for a job in a less common area, such as a psychology student, the co-op advisors may not be any more informed than you are. This problem worsens when you enroll in new co-op programs, where there has been no accumulation of job contacts and other ressources, and the co-op staff may have too much work to address your individual goals. In extreme cases, the co-op staff may be relying on students to find positions themselves, and for this reason selects only the best students who show the most promise of accomplishing this. Thus, the high grades required may not always signify that you’ll be the one getting the most out of the expeirence.

Obtaining a co-op degree is also a main motivation to enroll in a co-op program, as employers know that co-op students have passed through an initial screening in order to enroll in the program. However, most jobs are still advertised publically, and with the interview and resume training available on your campus, you can still have a reasonable chance of being hired.

Developing interview and resume skills
Developing interview and resume skills are often heralded as main reasons to enroll in a co-op program, and in general, the co-op programs deliver in this regard. However, seminars on resumes and interview skills are often offered by the university’s carreer center, which are of equal quality to those offered by the co-op program.

The UniversityAdvice bottom line: Co-op programs have become over-rated lately, and often fail to provide any substantial benifits while adding up to 3000$ in additional fees to the co-op student’s tuition. If instead of paying 3000$, you were to invest 100 hours in researching on-line job sites, reading resume and interview tips, and attending the free seminars on job searching, interviews and resumes, one can be equally prepared, without paying the extra fees. Additionally, many co-op programs freely offer their training materials on-line, so you can examine what material is covered and decide whether you can tackle it on your own.

Two such sites are:
http://www.cecs.uwaterloo.ca/
http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/scoop/

Also, be sure to research how long the co-op program has existed to ensure they have had time to build up ressources, and don’t hesitate to book an appointment with the co-op supervisor to ensure that your personal goals are compatible with those of the co-op office. By completing these steps, you can make a more educated decision regarding co-op, and ensure that your goals will be met if you choose to enroll.

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