Students applying for admission to the Co-operative Education program must participate in an application process. This process provides the students with the knowledge to assess whether the program is designed to meet their educational needs.

The information obtained through the application process is used by the co-operative education team to determine the educational benefit of the program to the student and to ensure that he/she will have a successful learning experience.

The selection process is a team approach involving the Co-operative Education Teacher, Guidance Counsellors and teachers.

1. Information Sessions

Co-operative Education teacher will review the co-op program during the Intention Sheet Information Sessions provided by the Counselling Department.

The student must meet with a guidance counsellor during the Intention Sheet process to discuss the value of enrolling in Co-operative Education and whether or not the program meets his or her academic and career needs. To be considered as an applicant the student must have successfully completed, or be currently enrolled in a senior level in-school component course within the academic year of enrolling in co-operative education.

2. Application and Teacher Referral Forms

Once the student has chosen co-operative education on his/her Intention Sheet he/she will be given a Co-op Application and Teacher Referral form from the Counselling Office. Both forms must be completed and returned to the Co-operative Education office during the Third week of March.

The Referral form provides the Co-operative Education teacher with insight into work habits, reliability, punctuality and motivation of the applicant. The Teacher Referral is to be completed by a teacher whose subject taught is related to the co-op placement desired.

3. Parent Information Form

Potential Co-op students must have their parent/guardian sign the Parent/Guardian Information form, verifying knowledge of prerequisites necessary to participate in the program.

4. Pre-course Counselling and Interview

Upon receipt of the Co-op Application, Teacher Referral form and Transcript, by the Co-op Office, the Co-op teacher will schedule an interview with each student.

The interview serves two functions: assessment and information. The function of assessment is to determine if the student's expectations of and commitment to a Co-operative Education program are realistic. The teacher will also determine whether or not the student qualifies for the program with respect to the in-school component. If the in-school component has not already been completed, a follow-up interview must take place to ensure it is time-tabled in the same semester as, or prior to, the Co-operative Education placement.

The pre-course counselling provides the student with more detailed information regarding his/her responsibilities and also determines whether the student has the necessary educational background commensurate to placement choice. Determining this background facilitates the matching of student placement requests with interviews at appropriate and available work sites.

The following information points will be stressed during the interview:

• objectives of the Co-operative Education program;
• flexibility required for scheduling of a Co-operative Education and length of placement hours;
• the student's responsibilities for logs, journals and assignments;
• evaluation procedures for in-school and out-of-school portions of the credits;
• remuneration policies;
• transportation and safety requirements;
• the student's responsibilities for attendance;
• commitment to the program.

All students are informed of the final selection as soon as possible. If a student is not accepted because of academic requirements, timetable restrictions, extracurricular commitments, part-time job interference, attendance, lack of a suitable workplace, or factors related to the interview and references given, he/she is informed by the Co-operative Education teacher

If the student is unsuccessful in the selection process, he/she is invited to contact the Co-operative Education teacher to arrange a follow-up interview. With permission of the Co-op teacher the student may choose to reapply to the co-operative education program.

NOTE: If for some reason the student chooses to change his/her placement, the change must take place prior to the first week of May. The selection of a new placement, especially one not related to the previous placement, would require the student to repeat the selection process