Current Students Hands-on learning is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in your chosen field and learn critical skills that can prepare you for life after graduation. We know you probably have some questions about what this looks like now that you’re a Durham College (DC) student. Check out the resources below for important information that can help prepare you for a co-op or work term. Maintaining Academic Eligibility To determine academic eligibility, please refer to this chart and visit a specific program page for details. Important Dates Summer 2024 Work Terms Salary Guidelines A co-op and work term student’s salary is determined by the employer, and Durham College (DC) is only required to ensure a provincial minimum wage is being provided. Pay rates can vary depending on the employer, the student’s program of study, and market conditions. By law, employers are required to pay the provincial hourly minimum wage, however, many employers may choose to pay a higher rate for their respective co-op position(s), as this helps attract top students. The team continuously advocates for salaries beyond minimum wage, however this decision remains with each employer. We are gathering data on average salaries for our co-op and work term programs; as many programs are new, there is not yet enough data to publish. Current co-op and work term students can work with their co-op coordinator to review typical salaries to help with their job search. DC does not promote positions for co-op and work terms that are fully unpaid, honourarium-based, or full commission. Students can choose to work in unpaid positions; however each student and their employer must sign a declaration form and commit to completing all co-op/work term documentation to meet the college’s requirements. Administrative Fee There is no fee to apply to a co-op or work term, however, once a student is accepted into their program’s co-op or work term option, an administrative fee of $475 will be applied to their student account. The administrative fee is only refundable during the first 10 days of the academic semester in which the fee is applied if a student chooses to opt out of their co-op/work term seat; the deadline for this is communicated to students during the application cycle and in the acceptance email. Withdrawing from Co-op Students may choose to transfer from the co-op or work term option back to the regular option of their program by emailing a request to co-op@durhamcollege.ca or to their designated co-op coordinator. A student who emails a request and returns the required documentation within the first 10 days of the academic semester in which the co-op administrative fee was charged to their account will be eligible for a reversal of the fee. A student requesting a transfer after the first 10 days of the academic semester in which the administrative fee was charged to the student’s account will be transferred from the co-op or work term option of their program and will not be eligible for a refund/reversal of this fee. The administrative fee covers services provided before, during, and after each work term, including but not limited to the following: Recruiting potential employers, developing jobs, and expanding industry networks. Facilitating student application and selection processes including posting job vacancies. Coaching students in individual job search appointments. Creating and delivering group sessions to support students’ job searches Verifying job opportunities. Coordinating employer information sessions, employer interviews on and off-campus, and facilitating job offers. Maintaining co-op student and employer database records. Interacting with faculty, executive deans, and associate deans about student or employer concerns and providing mediation as appropriate. Monitoring co-op student work terms. Collecting and reviewing student work term reflection reports and employer feedback forms. All these services are ongoing, regardless of a student’s individual work term employment status. International Students International students enrolled in a co-op or work term will follow the same policies and procedures as domestic students. Please note that international students require a valid study permit, co-op work permit, and a Social Insurance Number (SIN) to be eligible to work in Canada. International and domestic students both pay the same administrative fees. These fees are separate from tuition fees. The Experiential Learning team, in partnership with the International Education office, must verify the co-op work permit prior to an international student being allowed to begin their work term. Co-op work permits According to the Government of Canada, international students must prove that the work experience is essential to completing their program and will require a letter from the college available from the International Education Office. Read more about this online. Durham College’s (DC) Experiential Learning team, in partnership with the International Education Office, must verify the co-op work permit prior to an international student being allowed to begin their work term. Since DC’s co-op and work terms are optional, a co-op work permit is unlikely to be granted to students upon entering Canada. Application instructions for a co-op work permit, including the required letter, will be emailed to successful international work term students shortly after the acceptance into the co-op or work term. Students with disabilities Applying into co-op or work term All students are eligible to apply into their program's co-op or work term option. However, if a student's accommodations include a reduced course load, their timing for transfer into the co-op or work term option may be different than previously communicated. Students with reduced course loads must reach out to their student advisor or the Experiential Learning team at co-op@durhamcollege.ca before the end of the first semester to discuss any potential changes to the timing of transfer. Should a student require accommodations, they should contact and register with the Access and Support Centre. Participating in a co-op or work term & workplace accommodations Once accepted into their program's co-op or work term, the Experiential Learning team will work with students and their accessibility coach from the Access and Support Centre (ASC) to ensure appropriate and reasonable supports are in place for job search and interview assistance. Students are encouraged to work with their accessibility coach to set up a field access plan specific to workplace accommodation and discuss their field access plan with their co-op co-ordinator to assist in self-marketing and advocacy. Depending on the courseload, the scheduling of the co-op work term may change based on when courses from subsequent semesters have been fully completed. You’ve been accepted into a co-op or work term! Now what? Upon acceptance into your program’s co-op or work term, you must accept the terms and conditions included in the Hired portal’s co-op module to access job postings and support from your co-op coordinator. Upon acceptance, and throughout my entire participation in the co-op / work term option, I agree: to conduct myself in a professional and ethical manner through the application and hiring process, as well as on the job; to maintain the academic standards required of my program to be eligible for my work term(s) and to meet all requirements for dates and hours of employment that work term employment is not guaranteed and that I am responsible for securing my own work term employment (with the support of my co-op coordinator); and, that College staff may contact me through personal email and/or cell phone if required. I am responsible for ensuring that my contact information is accurate on MyDC and regularly checking my DC Mail email account and responding within 1 business day. During my co-op/work term Job Search Term, I agree/ acknowledge: that I am responsible for following all college policies, co-op student manual, and employer requirements including but not limited to out-of-province travel, criminal background checks, driver's license, and housing /commuting requirements; that the College is under no obligation to approve positions that do not meet the requirements of a work term; to ensure that I have no relation to my direct supervisor; and, that once I have accepted a work term position, I will create a new work term record in the Hired Co-operative Education module and submit the record for approval. Once approved, I will stop my job search and commit to completing that work term, as agreed, in its entirety. During my Work Term, I agree to: advise my employer of any concerns or problems with work tasks and connect with my co-op coordinator about any issues that cannot be resolved directly; and, notify my co-op coordinator of any significant changes to my employment (e.g., change of supervisor, major change to job responsibilities, etc.). Leaving the work term early (i.e., quitting or being asked to leave the position by the employer or College) may result in an unsuccessful work term and may be reflected on my transcript. By participating in co-op, I understand that personal information of co-op students may be exchanged with employers, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, funding agencies, or other government agencies as required for assisting students in obtaining and completing work experience and WIL employers in obtaining related wage subsidies. This includes but is not limited to academic eligibility and proof of enrolment. I have read and agreed to the above terms and conditions. I understand that the College reserves the right to take appropriate action, including withdrawing me from the co-op program, if I do not adhere to the above terms and conditions, as well as all Durham College policies, including policy ADMIN-248: Student Conduct. If I have any questions about this agreement, I will discuss them with my co-op coordinator.
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