Cooperative Education (Co-op) is a working partnership between the student, Lane Community College, and the Co-op employer. Hundreds of employers participate in the program each year and over 500 Lane students enroll in Co-op each year working in both paid and non-paid positions. Many Co-op students continue working as regular employees after graduation, although employment is not guaranteed.
Cooperative Education offers:
- An excellent source of motivated and qualified personnel
- An effective way to balance work schedules of part-time and job-share employees
- An opportunity to be involved in the educational process that contributes to both your profession and the community
As an employer, you have access to both part-time and full-time students who can fill positions related to their academic area of study or career path. This integration of classroom and community is the essence of Co-op, a structured program that enhances student learning while providing skilled individuals to business, industry, government, and non-profit organizations.
Contact the Co-op Coordinator for internships in your field for more information
Ready to hire a Co-Op Student?
- Contact the Co-op Coordinator for internships in your field.
- Describe the position you would like to offer a co-op student
- You and the Co-op Coordinator will jointly establish a process for referring to your qualified students
Once you have selected a student, you'll sign an agreement form which is also signed by the student and a cooperative education coordinator. This agreement documents:
- Your willingness to provide a work experience to the student
- The student's willingness to be placed in your organization
- The college's support of the placement as an educational activity for the student and allows the college to provide workers compensation insurance for non-paid students
At the end of each work term, you will be provided with an evaluation form for each student. Your evaluation of the student will be used to help determine the student's grade.
The Co-op employer's role is to:
- Develop job description and specific job qualifications
- For paid positions, determine the hourly wage level
- Interview students prior to placement
- Supervise student work and provide guidance and instruction
- Treat students as any other employee based on mutual expectations of standards and company policies
- Help students accomplish their learning objectives
- Meet with student's coordinator during the term to assess student's progress and complete a formal evaluation of student's work at end of each term (used to help determine student's grade)
Co-op job-related concerns and personnel issues should first be discussed by the Co-op student and Co-op employer. The Co-op coordinator can also help work through issues if additional assistance seems appropriate.
Federal Fair Labor Standards Act Information for non-paid cooperative education and internships: Wage and Hour Division Fact Sheet 71 (2018)