Anyone else think co-op is stupid?

[Horntails]

Im not 100% sure if this is how it works, but to my knowledge , we have to pay around $500 to find a co-op placement ourselves. Correct me if Im wrong, but most college/uni don't even find a co-op placement for you. So I am basicly paying the $1000 to the school for nothing, when I can just find a job myself

[Hitman21]

Co-op gives you experience while still in school, which is very helpful to get a job once you graduate because employers want experience. Some schools will find a placement while others you have to find it yourself. It is still very beneficial.

[mingming]

not sure where you're getting your info.

Yes, we pay certain fees for co-op services, but you know you get paid during the job, which when saved smartly should cover a lot of the tuition during school terms.

Seriously what did you expect? There are ZERO schools will just "find a placement FOR YOU". You're expecting the university to just "place" you into a job without interviews or applications or ANY selection process?

UW's co-op program for example gathers job openings from various companies looking to hire co-ops. And through the university co-op job posting you apply and interview for co-op jobs. Once a company gathers all the resumes from the university, they pick candidates to interview and the university will set up the interview between you 2. So what you're paying for is the ASSISTANCE and PROCESS in landing a job, not a gift wrapped job and send you on the way. Part of the co-op process does involve some independence in knowing what and how to apply for jobs. How to conduct interviews, etc.

Co-op was not stupid. True, the things I worked on arent very applicable (thats just my case), but I saw a lot of work environments. MOST IMPORTANTLY it showed me what I DIDN'T want as a career.

[Garganturat]

IIRC the companies get a tax break hiring co-op students, so that should add to your chances of getting a job with them (instead of being a regular student). Not to mention you get "co-op" on your degree.
I thought the same when I was in co-op, but now that I'm done, I think that money was well spent.

[FretPlay]

Co-op = work experience.

When you graduate from university and every entry level job is asking for several years of work experience, you'll be commenting on how stupid it is to NOT take co-op. Most places do not find you a position, but the point is that the university is giving you an opportunity to gain real life experience while pursuing a degree.

[nyik]

Coop = on the job experience, which is invaluable to landing a good FT job.
Coop = $ to cover the cost of university (I was able to cover 80% of my degree), which is a great leg up to leaving university without a huge tonne of debt.

How is the above stupid? The $500 fees you pay, is insignificant to the benefits of listed above and more. Speak to anyone coming out of university without coop, and the first things they will tell you is: I wish I didn't have so much debt to repay, I wish I had more job experience.

[daggerhead]

Co-op is not stupid. The only thing stupid is the ridiculous fees that they make us pay. Other than that, it is GREAT. It's a good way to get experience in the work force during your schooling (of course you're not working and going to school at the same time). Maybe if they lowered the fee a bit, I wouldn't be complaining about it, but the co-op office helps students finds jobs by having a job bank where employers submit their jobs and students have one single place to view available jobs.

[Alexmula]

you don't pay tuition while on a co-op work term. that would be ridiculous.

[Horntails]

Well yea, that is what I meant, the $500 fee seems stupid to me, because I can just find a job on my own, and not have to pay the fee

http://www.senecac.on.ca/co-op/

[Mark77]

The programs are essentially a way to suppress the price of labour, and to essentially allow schools to raise their tuitions beyond what students ordinarily would want to borrow.

There is nothing wrong with entry-level job experience, and there is nothing wrong with the whole concept. In fact, for many students who are essentially emotionally or academically 'worn out' after 3 years of school, these internships can be a life-saver prior to entering 4th year studies. But the fact that, at least in some fields of engineering (ie: ECE), that it seems to be required just to find a job after graduating, is a reflection on just how poor the employment market is for these professionals.

[Jyeatbvg69]

Speaking from experience as a Laurier student but...

Co-op fees = $500
Guaranteed job = <$10,000 salary per work term

Feelsgoodman

[omega11]

There is no such thing as a free lunch. You expect free jobs and not pay anything for all the administrative support and job hunting they do for you? lol Wait till you graduate, afterwards you'll think co-op was the samrtest thing offered.

[hystat]

co-op is a money grab by the colleges. It has little or nothing to do with work exposure. You can have a program with a term of work, called a paid internship and it doesn't have to be co-op.

Internship is the same as co-op, minus the cash grab.

The supposed idea of co-op is that you are paying the college to source/manage/administer the co-op placement, but rarely is that money actually applied to staffing that function. Your cash goes into the general accounts and disappears into the bureaucracy.

[strawberry8]

The extra cash is to enroll in the co-op course, like how for each additional course you enroll in you pay additional fees. During your work-term you do not pay any additional fees!! You'll be making the money back plus more! How it works is the co-op coordinator posts jobs for the students to apply to and based on your cover letter, resume and experience, you get selected for an interview! The advantage of being in this program is the fact that you get access to all of these jobs that aren't available to the public. Plus, the students are the first pick for the employer as the employer and co-op coordinator worked out an agreement to potentially have a student work there. You're put at a greater advantage by being in the co-op program.

I've taken co-op there!

[omega11]

co-op is a money grab by the colleges. It has little or nothing to do with work exposure. You can have a program with a term of work, called a paid internship and it doesn't have to be co-op.

Internship is the same as co-op, minus the cash grab.

The supposed idea of co-op is that you are paying the college to source/manage/administer the co-op placement, but rarely is that money actually applied to staffing that function. Your cash goes into the general accounts and disappears into the bureaucracy.

Internships are generalized and don't come with any general salary increases as you get experience. In co-op, the university co-op office provides you with specific jobs that are more relevant to your interests with salaries more competitive than the internships. Keep in mind any organisation needs to be profitable to survive--otherwise it will be unsustainable. Just my 2 cents.