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What is Co-op?
Cooperative Education is a planned and supervised program alternating periods of collegiate classroom instruction with work assignments that are closely related to the student’s academic program. It is a working agreement between USA and the cooperative education office at the college or university. To be considered, students must be registered and recommended by the university’s cooperative education program.
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Why should students participate in the Co-op Program?
- Cooperative Education Program helps employers meet their need for a highly-skilled, knowledge based workforce, potentially minimizing the new college graduate recruiting function.
- Cooperative Education provides students with hands on assignments, the accessibility to the latest technology, teamwork experience, and flexibility in adapting to continually changing work environments.
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What are the advantages to the student?
- Adds relevance to education by testing classroom knowledge
- Develops maturity and social skills
- Provides useful employment contacts
- Improves job search skills and new graduate prospects
- Helps in career decision making
- Provides added financial support
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What are the advantages to the university?
- Broadens the educational process
- Keeps faculty informed of current technology and applications
- Enhances graduate placement
- Nurtures university-employer relations
- Helps keep college curricula up-to-date
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What are the advantages to the employer?
- Access to a skilled short-term, cost-effective and diversified workforce
- Opportunity to evaluate potential full-time employees
- Reduction of recruiting and training cost (continuous coverage of positions throughout the year)
- Enhancement of community relationship and image
- Students can perform well on some professional-level assignments, thus freeing career employees for more advanced responsibilities
- Average retention rate is higher for students hired through the co-op program
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What is USA’s Role in the Co-op Program?
- Previewing potentially permanent employees and participation in both academic and on-the-job career preparation
- Benefit from the talents of highly qualified undergraduate students on a continuous year-round basis
- Developing an opportunity for the infusion of new ideas from students
- Reduce turnover and training costs for students who will have completed the equivalent of a management training program
- Gain an opportunity to establish cooperative relationship with the school, which could result in a productive rapport between industry representatives and professional educators
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What majors are considered for the program and in which work areas are students assigned?
- Students in the following programs are considered: Accounting, Business Administration, Computer Sciences, Engineering, Mathematics/Physics, and other majors as requested by management.
- Students are assigned in areas such as: Accounting/Financial management, Business Systems Development, Engineering Development, Payload Management/Operations, Shuttle Management Operations and Software Development.
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What are the work structures for Co-ops?
Alternating Structure
- Students work a term and alternate the next term with academic study. Most companies create one full time Co-op position which will require two Co-op students. Student "A" works the fall semester; Student "B" works the spring semester while student "A" is taking classes.
Parallel Structure
- Permits the student to work part-time while attending school and will optimize the school and work mix.
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| What benefits are available for co-op students? |
- Full-time Co-op students are provided a predefined package of benefits which includes medical and dental insurance, vision care, life insurance, short term disability insurance, relocation, and retirement.
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