COOPERATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM Employer Information Packet

Transcription

1 NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF CAREER SERVICES COOPERATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM Employer Information Packet Cooperative Education Program (Co-op) is a structured method program that offers students the opportunity to alternate periods of academic study with periods of work closely related to their major field of study. The combination of academic study and work produces an overall learning experience that gives greater meaning to students studies and more direction to career development. This program is non-compulsory; however, the University urges students to gain work experiences either through internships or cooperative education assignments prior to graduation. The program is student oriented and centralized in the Office of Career Services (OCS). Who can participate? Any undergraduate and graduate student formally enrolled in a degree-granting program at North Carolina A&T State University (N.C. A&T) can participate in the Co-op. Participants must establish and maintain at least a 2.5 overall grade point average. Freshmen must complete their first academic year prior to the first work assignment. Transfer students must complete one semester. Students must be registered with the Office of Career Services. Types of Co-op There are two types of co-op assignments, alternating and parallel. Alternating co-op assignment is the most common type. This allows the student to travel to another city, state or country and work full-time as a cooperative education student, enrolling only in the cooperative education course. Parallel co-op assignment allows the student go to school and work at the same time. Employer Benefits Provides an excellent pool of well-prepared employees. Improves the personnel selection process by using actual on-the-job performance as a basis for permanent hiring decisions. Increases cost-effectiveness of recruitment and training. Increases retention rates among permanent employees recruited and hired through a co-op program. Both students and employers have the time to try out the position and ensure that the fit is the most productive and effective for both. Strengthens employer relations with the University. Office of Career Services 101 Murphy Hall Office (336) Fax (336) ocs@ncat.edu

2 How the Program Works Some initial steps should take place if an employer wishes to hire a co-op student from N.C. A&T. After making contact with OCS and talking with the Assistant Director for Experiential Learning, review the current list of majors offered at This will help with deciding how many positions to interview and/or post. Also a potential employer may wish to visit the campus to discuss the program with the appropriate departmental staff and/or, when possible, have the staff visit the work site to gain first-hand knowledge of what may be required of the students. Co-op students alternate terms of full-time attendance at N.C. A&T with terms of full-time employment with an employer. The employment must be related to the student s area of study and full time (i.e., forty hours per week). Such training is expected to be diverse in order to afford students a breadth of experience. Typically, students work two or three terms, which includes a summer. Most students who participate in co-op matriculate through the University in about five years. When a student accepts a co-op assignment, he/she will visit the Office of Career Services in Suite 101 Murphy Hall, meet with the Assistant Director for Experiential Learning, complete a Prospective Co-op Student Form, receive approval and pick up an Information Packet. Enrollment in a co-op course is also required in order to maintain an active student status at the University. The charts below illustrate some common school-work scenarios. depending on when the initial work term begins. The following charts illustrate some common school-work sessions: Other scenarios are possible, Two Co-op Assignments Year Fall Academic Academic Academic Co-op Academic Spring Academic Co-op Academic Academic Summer Vacation Academic Academic Optional Three Co-op Assignments Year Fall Academic Academic Academic Co-op Academic Spring Academic Co-op Academic Academic Academic Summer Vacation Co-op Academic Academic Other scenarios are possible. Setting up a Program One of the most important steps employers will take to ensure success of a co-op assignment/experience is to write an effective job description. Students seek challenging assignments, but may not yet know a great deal about their field. A clear job description is a strong marketing tool. Before submitting your job description online through AggieLink, have some of the following information below. Brief description of your company, agency or organization Position descriptions of each opportunity Desired majors, interpersonal skills and technical skills Desired work dates Description of notable benefits such as housing stipends/allowances 2

3 After identifying available co-op positions, contact the Assistant Director for Experiential Learning, Pamela Basheer at or Discussion will take place about the best way for your company/agency to reach potential co-op students. Several ways are listed below. 1. Attend career fairs. 2. Participate in on-campus interviews. 3. Post a position(s) on-line through AggieLink. 4. Request resume referrals. Career Fairs The career fair brings a lot of students to one place searching for opportunities with employers. Students can talk with employers informally and drop off a resume. Currently OCS has five (5) career fairs, including our major career fair in September. Contact information is listed below and they can be reached at Career Awareness Program and Fair Cynthia Downing downingc@ncat.edu Health Care Fair Cynthia Downing downingc@ncat.edu Graduate and Professional School Day Zebedee Talley, III ztalley@ncat.edu Education/Arts and Science Expo Denise Burston dburston@ncat.edu Spring Career Fair Zebedee Talley, III ztalley@ncat.edu On-Campus Interviews Oftentimes the best way to select the proper student for available positions is to visit the N.C. A&T campus to interview prospective co-ops. Please contact the Scheduling Coordinator, Marketta King at or kingm@ncat.edu to determine an agreeable date for on-campus interviews and receive an On-Campus Recruiting Packet. On-line Posting The Office of Career Services uses AggieLink ( to manage all of its job/internship/co-op postings and on campus interviews. If you are interested in posting a job and/or internship/co-op, please create an AggieLink account and "Register and Post Local Job". After you have created an account, you will receive an approval message with your log-in information within 48 business hours. Resume Referrals Some employers may not be able to visit the campus for interviews. In this case, your position will be ed to students in our database who meet your stated qualifications and collect resumes from students who express interest. The Office will then the resumes to the employer. How long are co-op assignments and when do they begin? Recruitment should take place one to two terms prior to the semester in which the co-op student is to begin work. Students are available year-round mainly in four-month periods, three times a year. The terms are: Fall: August to December Spring: January to May Summer: May to August 3

4 When should I interview or post a position? Fall semester - start posting positions and/or interviewing in the spring and/or summer. Spring semester - start posting positions and/or interviewing in the summer and/or fall. Summer session - start posting positions and/or interviewing in the fall and/or spring. Extending Offers You must notify the Assistant Director for Experiential Learning as to the number of offers to be extended and to whom offers are being made. Notifying the Office in advance helps us ensure that the candidates have registered with the Office of Career Services and assists the Cooperative Education Program in its efforts to maintain records of all offers. After notifying the Assistant Director for Experiential Learning, the employer may proceed with making offers to the students selected. Even though the offer may be extended verbally, follow up with a written offer letter and provide a copy to the Assistant Director for Experiential Learning. ed offer letters are sufficient. Offers should include information about the wage/benefit package and the starting date or starting semester. When determining how long students will be given to respond to offers, keep in mind that students may wish to complete all scheduled interviews prior to making a decision. Please send letters of regret to all students interviewed who will not be receiving an offer. Salary No standard pay scale exists for students working on a co-op. However, level of pay does impact an employer s degree of success in recruiting co-op candidates who are highly sought after. Each year, the Cooperative Education Program performs a salary survey of all co-op employers, and the most recent results are available to current or potential employers. Orientation and Supervisor Assignment Arrange for an orientation/information meeting and tour to familiarize the student with all aspects of the organization. Confirm expectations regarding attire, Internet, telephone and usage, salary, benefits, overtime pay, starting and ending dates, and working hours. If your organization hires more than one student, save time by having all the students do the orientation together. Assign the student to a supervisor immediately. If the student is a department resource make him/her aware of the other staff whom he/she could assist when appropriate. Within the first week, the supervisor should meet with the student to complete a Policy form. Feedback and Evaluation Guidance and feedback will be very much appreciated by the co-op student and will ensure he/she is working towards the expectation set by the employer. Communicate with the student(s) frequently. In addition to the formal evaluation at the end of the assignment, informal weekly meetings are helpful to determine the student's progress and address any concerns. Approximately a month before the end of each co-op assignment the OCS will an Employer Evaluation Form to the site supervisor. A formal evaluation must be completed for each work term in order for the student to obtain academic credit (if granted by the N.C. A&T departments). After completing the evaluation, review it with the student and submit a copy to the Co-op Program. In anticipation of this final evaluation, keep notes of the student's progress noting achievements and improvements throughout the term. Be sure to consult all staff who worked with the co-op student for input into this evaluation. 4

5 Should any serious performance problems occur during the work term, please notify the Assistant Director for Experiential Learning as soon as possible. Employer Responsibilities Employers have specific responsibilities in the cooperative education process. N.C. A&T expects its coop employers to: Provide training related to the co-op s program of study and career goals. Inform students about their work assignments and wage/benefit package prior to start date. Pay the co-op a reasonable wage commensurate with the co-op s ability, experience, and job responsibilities. Place the co-op under the supervision of a qualified manager Promote professional development by allowing co-ops to participate in training workshops and other growth opportunities. Provide frequent feedback to co-ops throughout the work term and complete a formal written evaluation at the end of the term. Inform the Co-op Program of any changes in the primary contact person for your organization. Maintain open lines of communication. Mentors The Cooperative Education Program recommends assigning a mentor to assist the co-op student in adjusting to the workplace and organization. The mentor should not have supervisory responsibilities for the co-op. Potential Problems Students occasionally express dissatisfaction with the co-op assignment, an issue that is unlikely to arise if the student has been given a realistic picture of the type of work and responsibilities inherent in the job. Even under the best of circumstances, a poor match may cause difficulties for both the student and the employer. In such a case, consider the following: Can the student be moved to another department? Has the supervisor developed a plan for increasing the student s responsibilities? Is a mentor helping the student to adjust to the work environment? Is a strong structure in place for co-op students? If issues are not resolved, contact the Assistant Director for Experiential Learning. Termination of a co-op student On rare occasions, a student must be terminated due to unethical conduct, behavioral issues, or other reasons. The Cooperative Education Program suggests that the employer counsel students on correcting inappropriate behavior and provide frequent feedback throughout the work term. If termination is the only acceptable course of action, please notify the student, follow up in writing, and send the Assistant Director for Experiential Learning a copy of the termination letter. The Cooperative Education Program will also need a copy of the student s final written evaluation. N.C. A&T does not discriminate against any person on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. For inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies, contact the Title IX Coordinator attitleixcoordinator@ncat.edu. Updated 7/07/2015 plb 5