Cooperative Education programs provide substantial benefits to the student, the employer, the school, and the community.
To The Student
- The actual work experience helps the student determine whether or not he/she wants to continue in the chosen career early enough to choose another career.
- Allows the student to gain actual experience in the career in an environment different from the classroom.
- Enhances the student’s critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Enables a student to pay a portion of his/her college expenses.
- Allows the student to contribute to the economy.
- Gives the student a competitive edge for full-time employment after graduation.
- Promotes maturity and the development of interpersonal skills.
- Provides an opportunity for the student to work with state-of-the-art equipment and use the most current procedures.
To The Employer
- Provides a motivated workforce.
- Provides an opportunity to train potential employees.
- Provides full-time or part-time employees.
- Provides an opportunity for the employer to influence the college program.
- Provides a reduction of costs in recruitment and training.
- Provides a source of performance appraisal for the student and for the school.
To The School
- Provides an interchange between the college and the business community and an opportunity to utilize community resources to expand the curriculum.
- Provides a means of evaluating the effectiveness of the curriculum.
- Provides an opportunity for instructors to keep informed of constantly changing business/industry procedures and practices.
- Allows for immediate program success feedback.
- Recruits new students.
To The Community
- Provides a source of college-educated workers.
- Increases rapport between the college and the community.
- Increases student’s sense of citizenship and community responsibility.
- Increases the likelihood that the student will become a part of the community’s industrial base.
- Provides preparatory training for management, professional, and technical employment.
- Increases the economic base of the community.