March 22 – 26, 2010 declared “Co-operative Education Week”
Association for Co-operative Education British Columbia /
Yukon (ACE) is pleased to announce that March 22 – 26 has been declared
“Co-operative Education Week” in a proclamation signed by BC Attorney General
Mike de Jong.
For supporters of the program that connects post secondary students to meaningful work experience prior to graduation, this is welcome news. The proclamation expands upon the role that Co-op plays in providing employers with the means for partnering with education, while identifying opportunities for recruitment and succession. “Co-operative Education fosters an extension of the education institution while being responsive and adaptive to the evolving needs of employers and the community.”
ACE President Harriet Chicoine applauded the decision to
formally acknowledge the Co-op model: “We are thrilled that Co-operative
Education is receiving the recognition it deserves as a world class approach to
meeting the goals of both post-secondary education and industry.”
Co-op is a program that allows students to alternate periods of academic study with periods of work experience in the appropriate fields of business, industry, government, social services and the professions. During the periods of work experience, students become full-time employees that are actively engaged in productive work.
According to Chicoine, ACE frequently receives feedback from employers that Co-op students exhibit high levels of productivity in the workplace. This may account for the fact that 11,000 BC Co-op students are currently placed in work semesters. Employers can post Co-op jobs to the 24 post-secondary institutions within ACE via their web site: www.co-op.bc.ca.
