Why Hire a Co-op Student?

What is Co-op?

Co-operative education (Co-op) is one of the many types of work-integrated learning (WIL), which is defined by CEWIL Canada as "a form of curricular experiential education that formally integrates a student’s academic studies with quality experiences within a workplace or practice setting". Here at KPU, our Co-op programs provide students with valuable work experience in their field while also helping employers bring on skilled, enthusiastic talent to their organization.

How does hiring work?

The Co-op hiring process is designed to simulate the real world hiring process as much as possible. Employers are able to post their jobs on Career Connection, KPU's central job board. Students then apply for job on Career Connection once they have been accepted into their Co-op program and have completed COOP 1101, our standard student preparatory course for Co-op programs. 

To learn more about how to post a job for Co-op students, please visit our How to Post a Co-op Job page.

To learn more about the hiring process and timeline, please visit our Hiring Process page.

What requirements apply to Co-op?

Because KPU is an accredited Co-op institution, we have certain requirements that student jobs and employers have to fulfill to be deemed eligible.

All Co-op jobs must be:
  • 420 hours minimum per work term (which is considered full-time)
  • Between 12 and 16 weeks in duration (approximately 4 months)
  • Fully paid
  • Supervised
  • Lined up with the academic calendar
    • Spring Co-op semester – runs from January to April
    • Summer Co-op semester – runs from May to August
    • Fall Co-op semester – runs from September to December
  • Aligned with one of KPU’s 14 Co-op Programs
All Co-op employers must:
  • Be a registered business
  • Follow all provincial labour laws and employee safety guidelines as well as the Employment Standards Act
  • Have Worksafe Insurance
  • Provide their student hires with any work-related equipment needed to perform the job
  • Not have any student work at an employer’s home, if a job requires in-person work
  • Have all security clearance processes completed by the beginning of the work term
  • Agree to a mid-term site visit from a KPU co-op instructor
  • Complete an end-of-term meeting and employer evaluation

If you have any questions about these criteria, we are more than happy to chat with you and help ensure that your job posting and circumstances can fit within these requirements.

What do employers gain from Co-op?

Hiring a Co-op student isn't just beneficial to students - it's beneficial for your business too!

  • Fill temporary positions for staff absenses or short-term projects in an efficient way
  • Bring on hires who are eager to display their expertise and show you how hard they can work
  • Test out future long-term employees- many companies hire full-time employees from their previous pool of co-op students
  • Hire with a flexible schedule- depending upon your business needs, work terms start in May, September or January and can last 4, 8 or 12 months
  • Find new staff quickly- at KPU, when you make a co-op job offer, our students have one business day to respond
  • Keep your company on the leading edge of technology by employing students who are up-to-date with current trends
  • Build a relationship with KPU- employers can provide valuable feedback about course curricula and content
  • Mentor bright and enthusiastic students who are actively seeking more experience in their feild of study

Our Co-op students are excited to gain valuable work experience that will compliment their academic studies. They are willing to fully apply themselves to the job using their knowledge gained in the classroom to the real life scenarios in the workplace.

Student Testimonial

"Joining Co-op was the best decision I ever made. Having completed three work terms, I developed key analytical and accounting skills to aid my personal development and confidence. Co-op allowed me to test the waters in both government organization and with the local employer, as well, it helped increase my professional network for job opportunities in the future. Co-op is such a valuable experience and will put you on top of the resumes stack when compared to all other students who just have a degree. What are you waiting for?" - Khuong Vu, KPU Accounting Co-op Student

"I love the fact that I got to make a difference in our society and environment every day of my Co-op work term. No matter how small my contributions are, I know that I am helping to change the way people think about our environment. now I get to bring the workshop and field experience and knowledge that I gained during my Co-op work term back to the classroom, enhancing my own education, as well as my classmates'" - Taylor Robbins, KPU EPT Co-op Student

Are you still unsure if a Co-op student could be a good fit for your company? Contact us!

Career Development Centre
Surrey Main 136
604-599-2465
co-op@kpu.ca