Frequently Asked Questions Students Am I guaranteed a job? Entrance to the co-op/work term option of each program is limited and the processes for securing a work term are competitive. Transferring to the co-op/work term option does not guarantee work term employment. The Experiential Learning team, along with program faculty, will support students in their job search and preparation for employment. Students must be prepared to commit to a thorough, consistent, and active job search throughout their job search semester(s) and be prepared to provide regular, timely updates on their progress to their co-op coordinator. How many jobs should I apply to? Students should explore as many avenues as possible, be flexible with geographic area, and apply to multiple positions and companies through both the Hired portal and independently. Students should be regularly interacting with their co-op coordinator and getting assistance with their job search skills, resumés, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, interviewing strategies and more. Appointments can be booked by students by logging into the Hired portal. Regular updates on job search successes and challenges should also be provided to your co-op coordinator so they can monitor your progress and provide support. What if I don't get a position? If you can prove that you applied to a minimum of 5 opportunities or 20 per cent of opportunities posted on the Hired portal, whichever is higher, and met program-specific academic requirements, and still have not found a work term by the deadline, your work term may be deferred. Additional co-op administrative fees are not required if you receive a deferral of your work term; however, if the work term occurs after all academic coursework is complete, there may be additional ancillary fees required to maintain your student status. If you are interested in exploring a deferral, it is your responsibility to contact your co-op coordinator before the end of week 3 of your work term semester to discuss your options Note: deferrals are not available in graduate certificate programs with a work term, since it is scheduled after the final academic semester. My employer wants proof that I am a Durham College student. How do I request a proof of enrolment letter? Employers who hire students from recognized co-op/work term programs may require proof that a student is enrolled in a co-op or work term option. In order to obtain documentation, visit Verification of Enrolment on MyDC and follow the instructions under the Order a Verification of Enrolment Letter heading. The fee for each Verification of Enrolment is $16, plus tax. Fees are charged in Canadian dollars. Payments are non-refundable. Should I keep track of my job search? It is advised that every student track their job search effort by maintaining a job search log. Over the job search semester(s), students should be applying to many jobs, and having a log in place helps to track the positions applied for and will house any follow up notes or extra information needed. This log can be brought to appointments with a co-op coordinator, so they can see your job search progress so far and help develop an action plan. A sample log will be provided by the co-op team to each student for their use. It is also good practice to keep copies of job postings for future reference. In the event an interview is scheduled, the posting will be readily accessible to assist with interview preparation. Can I get a refund for my co-op administrative fee? Co-op administrative fees are collected along with academic tuition and are only reversible if a student transfers from the co-op/internship/work term option of their program within the first 10 days of the academic semester when the fee is assessed. Please see the Administrative fees page for more information. Will I be required to get a Criminal Reference Check, a Police Vulnerable Sector Check or get security clearance? Some employers require prospective employees to complete employment pre-screening assessments including criminal record checks and security clearances. Co-op students are responsible for any costs associated with pre-screening assessments required by employers. Co-op students acknowledge that many co-op employment offers and positions may be conditional on the successful completion of these assessments. Employers may also require applicants to complete aptitude testing as part of their recruitment process. Students requiring personal protective equipment, such as safety boots, will be required to purchase them at their own cost. Can I choose to work in an unpaid/volunteer work term? Durham College (DC) encourages paid work term opportunities for all students registered in the co-op/work term option of their program. A co-op/work term student may choose to accept an unpaid position to achieve the work term requirements or acquire relevant experience. Unpaid/volunteer positions are not posted on the Hired portal for co-op/work term students . Any unpaid work term opportunities must be discussed with and pre-approved by your co-op coordinator. Students who accept a position where they will not be paid an hourly wage will be required to submit the following documents to the Experiential Learning Hub so that DC can arrange for the appropriate insurance coverage: • Student and Employer Declaration Unpaid Co-op Position form; • Stand-Alone Student Insurance Plan. Any hours completed prior to the submission of required insurance documentation will not count for co-op credit. Copies of these forms will be provided by the co-op coordinator if a student would like to pursue an unpaid opportunity. Do I have to complete any assignments during my work term? Yes; during each work term, there is documentation that must be completed and submitted by specific deadlines to earn the work term course credit: 1. Performance and Practice Goals: each student must identify 3-5 goals that they want to experience or achieve during the work term. Supervisors must sign off that the goals are relevant, meaningful, and achievable. 2. Mid-term Student Feedback: students must update the EL team on how the work term is going at the mid-way point. 3. Mid-term Employer Feedback: supervisors are asked to provide performance feedback at the mid-way point of the work term. 4. Final Employer Feedback: supervisors are asked to provide performance feedback at the end of the work term. 5. Updated Resumé: students are required to update their resumé with the experience and skills gained from their work term position. 6. Work Term Reflection Report: completion of this reflection report at the end of the work term allows students to reflect on their experience gained from their position. Once I have completed my work term and I come back to school, can I work part-time with the same employer? Employers may keep their students on a part-time basis when they return to study; this is outside of the requirements of a co-op work term and Durham College is no longer involved in monitoring the student. What do I need to do in order to succeed in co-op? Start your job search early - do not wait! Remember, you are competing with co-op students from other colleges and universities in Ontario and across the country. Research companies so your application is more targeted to their needs and the opportunities they offer. Have a strong and tailored resumé and cover letter for each application you make. Create and use a LinkedIn account to network and search for co-op positions. Apply to as many co-op positions as possible – be enterprising and innovative in your approach; do not limit yourself to one geographic area. Know your strengths – this will help to establish your personal brand and what you can offer an employer. Create a 30-second pitch promoting your brand. Practice your interview skills. Maintain a positive attitude. Connect with your co-op coordinator for assistance. Employers Where can I find program information such as curriculum and courses taught? Our programs are robust and constantly evolving. Please visit our website for more information: www.durhamcollege.ca/programs/co-op. Within a program page, click on Co-op to see the program sequence for when work terms are scheduled. Is there assistance to help employers through the co-op process? Our co-op coordinators are available to support your recruitment needs – everything from application collection to scheduling of interviews. We will promote your organization and opportunities on campus. The Co-op office will stay connected with you throughout the work term to do everything we can to make the experience successful for all parties involved. What information should I include in my job description? Your job posting will be advertised via the DC Hired portal to the appropriate co-op students. The key components of what the job ad should include are: position title, location of work, job description/work scope, qualifications, hourly wage, targeted programs, application method and deadline. As an employer, can I request a Criminal Reference Check, a Police Vulnerable Sector Check or get a security clearance? Yes, some employers require prospective employees to complete employment pre-screening assessments including criminal record checks and security clearances. Co-op students are responsible for any costs associated with pre-screening assessments required by employers. Co-op students acknowledge that many co-op employment offers and positions may be conditional upon successful completion of these assessments and checks. Is there a deadline to advertise a co-op job ad? Submit your co-op opportunities as early in the academic semester before the work term as possible to provide adequate time for application submission, interviews, and job offers. What are the costs associated with a co-op work term? There are no fees to advertise job postings, have us collect applications, or use our campus space for interviews. The only costs are related to compensating your co-op or internship student for the duration of the work term(s). How long is a co-op work term? Each work term is 4 months. They follow the same schedule as our academic calendar: Summer: May through August Fall: September through December Winter: January through April Not all programs offer a co-op work terms in all three semesters and some programs offer consecutive work terms. Students participating in consecutive work terms will be registered in separate 4-month work terms for enrolment purposes. Are students pre-screened prior to being accepted into the co-op option of their program? While the acceptance process varies with each program (i.e. differing semester GPA requirements), students are required to apply to transfer the co-op option of their program and the process is competitive. In addition, DC co-op students must complete a 42-hour Co-op and Career Preparation course to help prepare them for their job search and the workforce. I am not ready to post a co-op role, but have a full-time/part-time opportunity to advertise to other students and alumni. What can I do? Email job postings to careerdevelopment@durhamcollege.ca to advertise on the Hired portal. Durham College students and alumni have access to Hired and interested candidates will apply to you directly. As an employer, why do I have to submit an employer feedback form during a work term? The co-op work term is like a course and in order for the experience to be acknowledged on a student’s transcript, the same academic deadlines for grades submission are followed. For co- op, students will receive a “PASS” on their transcript for successful completion of each work term or “FAIL” for unsuccessful completion. What is the Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit? A key financial benefit to companies that hire a co-op or internship student is the Co-operative Education Tax Credit (CETC). Companies are eligible to claim the CETC which provides them with a 25-30 per cent cost savings (claimed as a tax credit), up to $3000 per work term per student hired. The eligible students must be enrolled in a co-operative education program at an Ontario university or college. Durham College’s Co-op office will provide employers with a letter of certification to use in the CETC application. For more information, please visit: https://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/credit/cetc/ What are my responsibilities as an employer? To operate pursuant to the orders made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.9, as amended. To provide students with meaningful employment related to their field of study. To provide remuneration for work performed and any benefits as appropriate. The employer’s Workplace Accident and Injury insurance coverage is applicable to co-op and internship students as they are considered employees during their work terms. To provide accurate, informative job descriptions to stimulate student interest. To provide an orientation to familiarize students with their work environments, job responsibilities, organizational policies and procedures, etc. To discuss and approve performance and practice goals at the beginning of each work term with each DC co-op student hired. To provide students with supervision and training by individuals who understand and are interested in co-op. To provide mid-term and final performance feedback of the students. To advise the Co-op office immediately of any job-related performance issues (e.g. poor attendance, punctuality, quality of work). To provide increasing responsibilities in successive work terms for returning students. What are the responsibilities of the student? To participate fully in the co-op process. To conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner through the application and hiring process, as well as on the job. To maintain the minimum academic standards required to be eligible for co-op and internship options of their program. To adhere to all Durham College policies and procedures including any and all co-op guidelines. To conform to company policies and procedures and follow safety rules explicitly. To establish performance and practice goals in consultation with their employer for each work term. To advise their co-op co-ordinator of any work term concerns they cannot resolve with their employer. To complete all required assignments and documentation for every scheduled work term. What are the responsibilities of the college? To develop and maintain relevant curricula reflecting the needs of employers. To prepare students for their work terms with appropriate skills and attitudes. To define and administer the co-op and internship processes (recruitment, work term administration, etc.). To provide program information to employers and students. To assist employers in the recruitment process. To endorse for employment consideration only those students meeting the established guidelines set out by the college. To monitor and evaluate student progress and performance in co-operation with participating employers. To mediate any work term issues or concerns working to find appropriate resolution on behalf of all parties. To maintain co-op student files and work term records. To issue certification letters for the CETC for employers in Ontario that hire co-op and internship students.
App Store
Google Play