On-the-Job Injury Reporting 

1. In the event of an on-the-job injury,  seek immediate medical attention. 

2. In case of an accident, you must immediately notify the site supervisor and your instructor. Accident report forms must be completed for the college within 24 hours. 

Workers Compensation

• Students working at non-paid training sites are eligible for accident insurance, at no cost, provided by the college. You must be registered and the Training Agreement form must be completed and submitted to a Career Services Specialist in order for the insurance to be in effect. 

• In case of an accident, you must immediately notify the site supervisor and the Career Services Specialist. Accident report forms must be completed for the college within 24 hours. 

•  If the employing agency provides insurance for volunteers, this should be indicated on the Training Agreement. 

• Paid employees are subject to Workers’ Compensation laws. 

Workers’ Compensation and Safety in Unpaid Programs

As an unpaid student in a college-directed professional education or work experience program, your safety is our top priority. While you are not a regular paid employee of the college or your host organization, PCC provides you with specific protections if you are injured while performing your program duties.

Crucial Program Boundaries & Scope of Coverage

College workers' compensation coverage applies only to activities that are an authorized part of your academic curriculum.

• What is Covered: If you are performing tasks that count toward your program hours or academic requirements, you are covered. This applies even if you start your hours early or if your formal paperwork is still being processed by the college administration, as long as the work is officially recognized as part of your program.

• What is NOT Covered (Volunteer Status): If you choose to work extra hours that do not count toward your program, or if you perform tasks completely unrelated to your training description, college coverage will not apply. In those situations, you are legally considered an independent volunteer for that third-party business. The college assumes no liability, and you would have to rely on the host business's insurance if you are hurt.

What Is Covered

• Medical Treatment: If you suffer a job-related injury or illness at your program site, the college’s workers’ compensation insurance will cover all necessary and authorized medical treatment related to that injury.

What Is NOT Covered

• Lost Wages (Disability Payments): Because you are not earning a cash wage in this unpaid program, you are not eligible for temporary disability or "lost wage" payments under workers' compensation if an injury forces you to miss program site days.

Crucial Exception: Paid Positions

If your program site begins paying you wages for your work, the rules change immediately. You will no longer be covered under the college's policy. Instead, your employer must cover you under their own standard business workers’ compensation policy

In the case of paid Cooperative Education work experiences, the employer must comply with State of Oregon employment law and must provide Workers Compensation insurance. PCC provides Workers Compensation insurance for non-paid experiences. Exceptions: students who are covered by their prior employer, based on a job injury; or students covered through a company-sponsored program, such as an Employer Volunteer Program. 

Sometimes Cooperative Education is confused with work study. Cooperative Education is an instructional program. Work study is a financial aid program in which eligible students are paid for working on campus or for a non-profit organization. 

● If the work study job meets the guidelines for Cooperative Education, you may be able to earn academic credit. All Cooperative Education requirements must be met. 

•  You must complete the agreed upon number of hours of work in order to earn credit. 

• Training Agreement and Learning Objective forms must be on file with a Career Services Specialist. 

• An Employer Evaluation must be completed and must indicate completion of learning objectives and satisfactory job performance. 

• For most curricula, Cooperative Education work experience is graded on a “pass/no pass” basis. 

• Seminars are graded separately. 

• Seminars are required for some programs. 

• The curriculum is designed to help you develop skills which will enhance your success as an employee. 

• Seminar students may have a weekly class meeting with an instructor. In some cases, students and the Instructor plan an individualized set of assignments and there is no class meeting. 

• Online seminars are offered in some programs. 

• The worksite must offer experience which is directly related to your career goals. 

• The work experience must provide an opportunity for new learning and skill development. 

•  A worksite supervisor must be available and willing to train, supervise, and evaluate you, and to communicate with the college representative. 

• An instructor will visit the site one or more times during the term to review your work and talk to your supervisor. When possible, a brief conference with you and your supervisor is scheduled. 

• Large, medium and small companies in the public and private sector hire students. 

•  You may already have a job which will qualify as a worksite. 

• Employers are not obligated to hire a student. However, employment is sometimes offered after a successful Cooperative Education experience. 

•  Any career-specific part-time job is a potential Cooperative Education opportunity 

• The amount of credit earned is based on the amount of time spent working. A minimum of 30 hours per credit is required. Program requirements may vary.

• Time requirements of the employer, your time availability, and course requirements will determine how much credit you will earn. 

• You may repeat Cooperative Education with one or more employers. 

• Some programs require Cooperative Education; others consider it an elective course. A college advisor or a Career Services Specialist can explain how Cooperative Education fits into the degree/certificate requirements for your major. 

• If you’re interested in transferring credits to another college, you must check with the admissions office of that college to find out if the credit will be counted. In most cases, Cooperative Education credits transfer as electives.