Overview

Add Rocket Fuel to Your Career!

Cooperative Education is a working partnership between the student-employee, the college, and the employer which enables students to earn college credit for learning on the job. The program creates a working-learning environment which is not normally possible in a college classroom.

Cooperative Education has provided previous student-employees with a number of important benefits. Students have indicated the program increased their interest and motivation toward their jobs, and when objectives were completed they enjoyed a strong sense of achievement. In addition, their relationships and communication with their supervisors improved significantly.

For many student-employees, participation produced tangible results. Job promotions, more interesting and challenging assignments, salary increases, and greater job security resulted. Students also improved their grade point averages (GPA) while earning transfer units, up to 16 units toward their degrees, or up to 8 units toward a certificate.

However, the greatest long-term benefit of Cooperative Education is learning to set and reach challenging goals. A person who consistently sets and meets goals on the job or at school greatly increases his or her chances for success. This is a very important concept to put to use. When goal-setting becomes a habit, it will have a positive influence in many areas of one's life!

Benefits for Students:

• Earn credits and make money at the same time
• Get on-the-job training in valuable skills
• Improve your professional resume
• Increase potential for career advancement
• Prepare yourself for full-time employment
• Professional networking
• Volunteer and earn credits at the same time

Benefits for Employers:

• Assists in training of personnel
• Assists with achievement of business goals
• Connect to your local community college
• Decrease your labor costs
• Develop managerial talent
• Improve employer-employee communications
• Improve employee retention
• Improve systems and develop new ones

 

Getting Started

To qualify for Cooperative Education, your college major or occupational goal must be related to your job responsibilities.

To participate in the program, you must find your own job, which may be a paid or volunteer position. If you don't have a job at the time of registration, you must find one within the first two weeks of the semester. Self-employed students are eligible to participate if they can provide someone to objectively evaluate their work, and verify their hours.

Join Us!

• Earn between 1-4 units a semester (maximum 16 units). 75 hours (paid job),or 60 hours (volunteer work) equals one unit!
• Earn 1-16 elective units for transfer. 12 Co-op Education units transfer to any California State University.
• No class meetings! Simply attend one mandatory orientation during the first 3 weeks of the fall or spring semester, or the first week of the summer semester.
• Choose the Co-op course convenient for you as listed in the Cañada Class Schedule under Cooperative Education.
• Schedules are available at the college bookstore, local libraries, or online at www.canadacollege.edu
• To register, log onto WebSMART.

Resources

Requirements: Associate in Arts (AA)/Associate in Science (AS) Degree
Requirements: Associate Degrees for Transfer
Requirements: Certificate Programs
Cañada College Catalog Home

 

Gainful Employment Disclosure

View Gainful Employment Disclosure Information, which contains key gainful employment outcomes for graduates from Cañada's certificate programs, including estimates of the costs of tuition, books and supplies, and fees; average student loan debt; and normal time to completion of the certificate.

Transfer

Cañada College offers lower division coursework required for transfer in this area of study. Students should use PROJECT ASSIST (www.assist.org) to research lower division major requirements at the transfer destination(s) of their choice. Also, work with a Counselor/Advisor to determine appropriate transfer coursework.