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Partnership Information
Niagara Catholic wants to meet you where you are. Become a part of preparing Niagara's Next Generation by supporting their journey in one or more of the following ways:
Guest Speakers
Visit a classroom to speak to students about your industry and what is needed to be successful within it. What does training look like? What’s the day to day? Salary? Share your knowledge and insights with young people who are excited to learn what their future may hold within the Niagara Region.
Tours and Workshops
Consider providing a tour of our facility. You may want to include a hands-on workshop and a chat about what training and education a student needs to pursue a career in your field. Our students are excited to learn more about what local industry looks like and enjoy hands on experiences so they can find out more about their future.
In School Workshops
Reach out to share your expertise within our learning spaces. We have classroom spaces for communications technology and design, photography, construction, hairstyling, culinary, manufacturing and so much more. Consider sharing your expertise for an afternoon so you can introduce students to a skill that supports your business needs. Not only will students meet a potential future employer and gain useful skills, but employers can start to build professional training relationships with the future of their business.
Cooperative Education
Niagara Catholic is always seeking employers across the Niagara region to take on students participating in the Cooperative Education program. We've established partnerships with a wide range of employers, from large-scale corporations to local small businesses. To discover more about the benefits of the Cooperative Education program for your business and the co-op placement timeline, keep reading!
What is Cooperative Education?
Cooperative Education is a program where students earn credits through hands-on learning experiences within a work placement during the school day. Student can also earn co-op hours during after school work placements and during full-time summer work.
When do co-ops take place?
Co-op placements can take place during Semester One (September - January) or Semester Two (February - June). Placements can be half-days in the morning from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., or in the afternoon from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., or a full school day (8 a.m. to 3 p.m.).
Why take on a co-op student?
- Teach, inspire and motivate the next generation of talent
- Allows employers to take a student on a trial basis before making a full-time commitment for a potential employee
- On-going involvement provides your business with a continuous source of potential apprenticeship candidates
Your responsibilities as a Cooperative Education Employer
- Onboarding: welcome students with an introduction to company culture, safety, and procedures
- Safe work environment: ensure a safe workplace with proper training and equipment
- Meaningful work experiences: Assign relevant tasks and offer opportunities for skill development
- Communicate with coop teachers: maintain regular communication with the co-op teacher; this includes verifying student hours of work weekly. Employers complete two formal evaluations
- Future opportunities: Consider how placements can support work and apprenticeship pathways
Our Responsibilities:
- Pre-employment training: Students receive WHMIS, health and safety training and co-op policy training before their placement (approx. 2 weeks). Student responsibilities related to workplace conduct, daily attendance, OHSA, and professional conduct are established.
- Workplace insurance: WSIB insurance is provided by the Ministry of Education during school-baed placements
- Ongoing training and pathway support: Students attend monthly integration days at school for further training, reflection and pathway exploration.
- Support employer student relationships: co-op teachers are in regular communication with employers to ensure safety and best outcomes including visiting the work site.
Student/ Parent Responsibility:
- Paperwork/ permissions: Co-op involves traveling off campus which requires parent approval and signatures
- Attendance: Parental support of daily attendance is very important as co-op credits require a minimum number of hours to complete the program
- Transportation: Transportation to and from co-op placements is a student's responsibility. Student can opt for buses, walking, rides, or driving as appropriate
- Policy and Expectation: Students must follow co-op policy and expectations related to attendance, safety within their work environment, and completion of course work. Student placements can be discontinued by employers if not followed.
Additional Considerations:
- Adaptive Placements: Tailor placements to fit the safety and experiential needs of secondary students, ensuring a great learning experience for students.
- Apprenticeship Pathway: Consider supporting smooth transitions from high school to a career, with full-day placements leading to training agreements after graduation.
- Insurance: WSIB Insurance is provided by the Ministry of Education for unpaid secondary school cooperative education placements. Employers for summer school and night school cooperative education placements must provide WSIB insurance as students are engaged in paid employment within these programs.
Types of Placements
Employers may decide where students fit best within their infrastructure and work environment. Co-op placements offer valuable learning opportunities related to workplace, college, apprenticeship, and university pathways. Employers can focus on specific areas and even rotate students through multiple departments. This approach helps students gain a broad understanding of the company as they develop skills and interests.
Centralized Co-op Placements
Larger employers often utilize a Centralized Placement approach wherein they offer a pre-determined number of placements within multiple departments. One organizational option could be that Niagara Catholic students would submit applications through a school board contact, who submits the best candidates to the employer for interview and placement considerations. Employers are welcome to develop a format with Niagara Catholic staff that best fits their needs. This is a great way for students to gain experience working with cross functional teams within a real world setting.
Summer and Night School Placements
During summer and night school cooperative education students organize their own placements opportunities, and are able to use their part-time after school or full-time summer employment towards fulfilling cooperative education SHSM credit requirements.
Employers for summer school and night school cooperative education placements provide WSIB insurance as students are engaged in paid employment within these programs.
Co-op Timelines:
