Cooperative Education

One of the challenges facing students as they prepare to enter the workforce is how to get a job without experience.  Since one cannot get experience without first having a job, it can become a frustrating dilemma.  NCC has a solution; Cooperative Education can break the vicious cycle.

Through NCC's Cooperative Education Program, employers hire students who are nearing graduation and ready to begin their careers.  The students can work part-time or full-time and receive college credit for the work experience they gain.  The beauty of the program is that is serves as a bridge between college and career.  Students gain experience before graduating, and they are introduced to the work force while they are still capable of upgrading their educational portfolios.  Employers get the benefit of being able to meet ambitious people with the latest and most up-to-date skills, fresh from college.

Frequently, employers find the professional relationship worth keeping; as many as75% of the students placed through the Co-op Ed Program are offered permanent positions after their Co-op Ed semester is over.  In every case, students learn more about potential career choices and discover what is truly expected of them in the workforce. 

Because students receive credit for Cooperative Education, there are certain requirements both before and during the experience.  Prior to being placed, students are coached by the Co-op Ed staff in resume writing and interview skills.  The Co-op Ed staff arranges interviews for students who are eager to start work in a new field in which they lack experience.  During the Co-op Ed semester, students participate in a weekly seminar on career planning and employment issues.  They discuss their experiences and teach each other about work in different fields and at different worksites.  Through in-class presentations, students are able to share and build upon each other's experiences.

Co-op Ed students do not receive fringe benefits, but they are paid for the work they do.  Hourly wages range from $10 and up, depending upon the field of endeavor.  Since the Cooperative Education started in 1995, students at NCC have earned more than a million dollars.

Which Students Choose Cooperative Education:

• Students who have completed at least 30 credits or are in their final semester of a certificate program.
  

• Students who have just graduated.
  

• Students with a clear career choice but no experience.
  

• Students who are ready to experiment with a career choice.
  

• Students who want work experience to help them choose a major before

• transferring to a four-year college.
  

• Students on F-1 Visas who are authorized to work.
  

• Students with Bachelor's Degrees who are retraining.
  

• Students who can use their existing jobs as a source of new learning and academic credit.  

The minimum requirements for entry into the Cooperative Education Program are:

• Matriculation in a degree or certificate program.
  

• Completion of thirty credits toward a degree.
  

• A 2.0 GPA, although some companies establish higher minimum standards.
  

• Completion of any prerequisites set by the academic program in which the student seeks a degree.
  

• The approval of the academic program coordinator and the Cooperative Education Staff.

Please call for an appointment to meet with a member of our professional staff if you have an interest in learning more.  We can be reached by telephone at (203) 857-3341, 857-7186, or 857-7281.