Start a Program

Start a Co-op or Internship Program

Some things you may want to consider prior to establishing a co-op or internship at your company:

A clearly defined professional development program should be designed and used for each academic major employed and for each work period students are on an assignment.
Be sure that the program is endorsed and supported at the highest levels of the organization
Determine if enough work is available to warrant the hiring of a co-op/internship student and that the work is progressively more responsible and challenging and commensurate with the student's academic level.

The benefits of participating in a co-op or internship program are many:

Reduced personnel costs
Students perform productive and necessary work at a cost considerably less than that paid to regular entry-level employees. In addition, employers pay no unemployment compensation taxes, and fringe benefits are optional.
See salary data
Reduced recruitment costs
Staff of the Career Advantage Network provide free referral and evaluation services to participating employers. This reduces the salary, travel and advertising costs involved in recruitment.
Flexible source of personnel
Students are available as part-time or full-time employees, depending upon your company’s particular needs.
Increased recruitment yields
Nationally, anywhere from 55 to 60 percent of the students who co-op with an organization are hired permanently after graduation.
Improved retention rates
Since the company and the student have become acquainted before establishing a binding commitment, pre-screening has already occurred.
Affirmative Action and EEOC objectives
Cooperative education and internships assist in the identification and hiring of minority groups and females, consistent with Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) objectives.