What is Co-op?
Cooperative Education provides secondary school students the ability to earn credits while working in a community outside of their school. The standard placement is a half-day 2-credit co-op but there are options to complete both a fuller day 3-credit and a 4-credit co-op as well. Students will have the opportunity to develop personal and workplace skills important to their career and life planning.
Why Should I Take Co-op?
“Test-driving” a Career: If you are curious about what a specific workplace is like, taking co-op allows you to get into the action and experience it for yourself!
Work Experience: If you know what kind of job you’d like, getting a co-op in the same field will allow you to gain experience while still in high school.
Experiential Learning: If you would like to get out of the classroom and simply learn by doing, a co-op will let you get out of a desk and into the world!
The OCDSB will provide workplace safety and insurance board coverage (WSIB) during the student’s agreed upon placement hours.
*** During the Christmas Holiday and March break this insurance is not active, and therefore students are never allowed to go to their placements during these holidays. ***
Students can purchase additional insurance (OSBIE) that would cover co-op students damaging equipment or endangering others for between $13-$33 depending on choice of insurance.
OYAP students will be reimbursed up to a maximum of $450 for travel to and from a co-op placement in an apprenticeable trade.
OYAP students will be reimbursed/provided a voucher for steel-toed footwear as well as reimbursement for a selection of other required PPE.
The risk of having a student drive a vehicle would be assumed by the employer. The school board has no liability insurance to protect the student nor the employer for damages arising out of operation of a vehicle.
OCDSB liability insurance does not cover students as a passenger in an employer owned/other non-owned vehicle.
Students will sign a confidentiality agreement that states they must keep “all information obtained about customers, all that relates to fellow workers, and all other confidential information concerning the training organization” confidential.
WHMIS, four steps to safety, working from heights (construction placements),
Parents will agree to assuming that there are potential risks associated with each individual co-op by signing an informed consent form.
Students, parents, employers, and the co-op teacher will sign off on the WEA (work education agreement) which will provide insurance coverage while at the placement (please note that insurance coverage will only be for the hours stated on the agreement). Insurance times can be amended for special learning opportunities, but will require new signatures from all parties.