A Working Partnership

A successful co-op program depends on the cooperation of Kettering University's Cooperative Education staff, the student, and the employer.

The Student’s Role

  • Be accessible and available for interviews with potential employers
  • Notify the Office of Cooperative Education & Career Services when employment offers are received; after accepting an offer, the employment search is completed
  • Meet the academic expectations of the University
  • Complete an evaluation of the co-op work term experience
  • Meet work performance expectations of the co-op employer
  • Complete a joint evaluation of him/herself with the co-op employer

 

A Student on the Job

The Kettering University Cooperative Education & Career Services Role

  • Serve as a liaison between the employer, the student, and the University
  • Make suggestions for appropriate co-op positions
  • Provide information about Kettering University's academic programs
  • Identify student candidates, refer resumes to employers, and facilitate interview arrangements
  • Advise employers about appropriate co-op wage and benefits
  • Counsel students on career goals and help match their skills with employers' needs
  • Work with employers to develop work plans

The Co-op Employer’s Role

To ensure the co-op program goes as smoothly as possible, Kettering encourages employers to complete the following before hiring a co-op student:

  • Gain support from senior management and from employees who will supervise students
  • Establish budgetary support and determine the wages and benefits to be offered, including any assistance with housing and/or transportation  
  • Share with supervisors information about the philosophy and goals of cooperative education
  • Familiarize students with the organization and geographic area
  • Develop job assignments to ensure that students work on projects that will lead to professional growth
  • Create a strategic work plan to share both with students and with the Cooperative Education & Career Services Office
  • Communicate expectations for the program to the Cooperative Education & Career Services Office and ask any remaining questions