What is Co-op?
Co-op is a partnership involving students, employers, and the College that provides students with work experience to complement their in-class training.
Your co-op experience is:
- Academic experience
- Paid (minimum wage – $18+/hour)
- Full-time work
- Related to your program of study
- Completed between in-class semesters
Employers hire qualified and motivated students to fulfill short-term and future employment needs. As a student, you gain valuable, paid, on-the-job experience and build networks to enhance employment options.
Co-op Student Benefits
Mandatory and Optional Co-op Programs
Cooperative Education is an important component in many programs at Algonquin College. The coop experience provides students with the opportunity to learn through a paid work experience and acquire additional knowledge and skills related to your career goals and objectives. At Algonquin College, there are a variety programs that have an optional or mandatory co-op component. Please visit Co-op Programs for further details on co-op requirements by program.
An “optional” co-op program provides students with the choice to complete co-op as they earn their credential. When a student elects to join the co-op program, all work terms within that program are mandatory to progress to any additional co-op work terms, and graduate with a co-op designation.
A “mandatory” co-op program means the students need to complete all co-op work terms in their program to earn a credential and graduate.