CO-OP/INTERNSHIP
Working to Learn.  Learning to Work.

Welcome to an opportunity to learn by experience.  This unique experiential learning program integrates classroom studies with work-based learning experiences related to a student’s academic and career goals while simultaneously earning academic credits.

About the Program
Students
Faculty Co-op Advisors
Employers
Program Forms
Links

Employer Benefits

• Opportunity to employ part-time college student employees who are motivated and want to be trained.

• Opportunity to participate in a low-cost training program to help meet individual employer labor needs and to diversify your staff.

• Opportunity to have a positive influence on the training and development of the regional work force and to help promote regional economic development.

• Opportunity to implement more efficient employee work schedules and to meet temporary staffing needs with short-term college student employees.

• Opportunity to expand the education and training of local college students by sharing your facilities and state-of-the-art technology.
   

Employer Responsibilities
Employers who participate in the co-op/internship program gain highly productive employees who are career-motivated. Employers interview and select their own co-op/internship students. Co-op/internship experiences allow employers to observe students without the obligation to permanently hire any given student at the end of the semester. Some VHCC students prefer to remain in the local area after graduation to seek employment. Thus for some employers, co-op/internship students may become a source for future permanent employees.

As employees of the employer, co-op/internship students are responsible to and supervised by their work job supervisor. The co-op/internship experience should provide the student with relevant career work experience and personal development. Co-op students should be compensated with pay similar to regular beginning employees that perform comparable jobs. The experiential learning workbook details, summarizes, and evaluates the work experience.