Frequently Asked Questions
Q. WHAT IS COOPERATIVE EDUCATION?
A. Cooperative education—“co-op” for short—blends academic coursework with workplaceexperiences. Students alternate periods ofacademic study with full-time employment, thus blending classroom learning with experience inthe workforce to enrich their learning and careerpreparation.
Q. HOW DOES CO-OP BENEFIT STUDENTS?
A. Students benefit through better academicperformance coupled with relevant workexperience that helps them clarify goals and learn skills, earn money to help pay for college, and have greater employment prospects upon graduation.
While many positions are paid, some students choose an unpaid experience because it best fits their needs. Also, some experiences may be unpaid because of industry standards, such asgovernment agencies.
Many co-op students are offered full-time jobs byemployers with which they had co-op experiences.
Q. ARE TRANSFER STUDENTS ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN CO-OP?
A. Absolutely! Transfer students may participate fully in Penn State Schuylkill Co-Op starting their first semester with our campus. Interested students should work with their admissions counselor and academic adviser to enroll in the program.
Q. WHAT ARE SOME BENEFITS FOREMPLOYERS?
A. Employers have found that co-op serves as an effective screening and selection process that helps them build a talent pipeline, recruit employees, and vet them for quality and fit. They have also foundthat co-op has a positive impact on employeeretention and productivity.
Q. WHAT WILL PENN STATE SCHUYLKILL’SCO-OP PROGRAM BE LIKE?
A. The co-op program will include three full-timework experiences consisting of two three-month, full-time internships and one six-month co-op (three months full-time over the summer, and three months part-time during the academic year, or completed in six months full-time),all supported by academic coursework andco-curricular programming in career services.The program will be offered in partnership withemployers who are members of our Consortiumof Co-Op Employers.
Q. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF JOINING THECONSORTIUM OF CO-OP EMPLOYERS?
A. Members of the consortium will be invited toseveral events per year, not only to help identifyand recruit students for internships, co-op, andemployment but also to help determine how wecan improve the program. Particular benefits ofmembership will include assistance with postingpositions, scheduling interviews—including spaceon campus for interviews if desired, and anassigned point-of-contact on campus to assistwith any issues.
Q. HOW CAN EMPLOYERS JOIN THECONSORTIUM OF CO-OP EMPLOYERS?
Q. IS THERE A COST TO JOIN THECONSORTIUM OF CO-OP EMPLOYERS?
A. There is no cost to join the Consortium of Co-Op Employers. Members will be expected to offer internships and co-ops to Penn State Schuylkillstudents. However, the students will interview forinternships and co-ops, and the employers will choose whether or not to offer those positions to students on a case-by-case basis.
