Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is Co-operative Education?

Co-operative Education involves a planned workplace experience for which a high school credit is earned. The experience offers significant opportunities for learning in a workplace/community setting to enable students to explore and acquire skills in a career, occupation, or job. Co-operative Education may be offered as half-credit or full-credit courses.

How does a student register for Co-op?

Co-op requires an application, community and teacher references and an interview before a student can be registered in the course. To participate in a Co-operative Education community-based placement, a student must be 16 years of age and be ready for the independent nature of community placements.

What does the Co-op experience look like?

The Co-operative Education course consists of an in-school component and a placement component. The classroom component includes a 25-hour minimum of pre-placement instruction, which focuses on career development, workplace readiness, and workplace health and safety.

Co-operative Education placements are available in many types of work settings, reflecting the wide range of student interests and abilities. Work placements may take place during or after school hours, on weekends, and during vacations. This will depend upon employer and student availability, and the nature of the career explored.

Do students complete their Co-operative Education course in one semester?

Cooperative education is intended to be flexible in nature. Students can be registered to take it in either semester or can complete it over the school calendar year. This is often dependent upon the partnership and the experiences in which the students are engaged.

Is Co-operative Education an option for any student?

Co-operative Education should be available to any student in high school who has reached the age of 16 and has met placement readiness requirements for the independent nature of credit delivery. Readiness requirements apply to all students, including students with Individualized Program Plans. If students meet the readiness requirements for the independent nature of Co-operative Education or have access to the support required for a successful placement (e.g., a job coach) on site, they would be eligible to undertake the work placement.

Do community hosts contribute to the evaluation of a student?

The community host’s evaluation contributes to the student’s grade; however the final grade is the supervising teacher’s responsibility. A student’s final grade for the Co-operative Education course is based on the achievement of the identified learning outcomes.

(Source: 2018, NS Department of Education and Early Childhood Development)