The employer is provided with a continuous source of part-time (or in some cases full-time) temporary employees to meet human resources needs of the organization
The employer has the opportunity to select candidates recruited, screened, and referred by the college.
Co-op provides the company with a pool of talented, highly motivated prospective employees who may be tapped for future permanent human resources needs.
Employer ratings of work performance of cooperative education graduates have been shown to be higher than ratings of other college graduates.
Surveys indicate that cooperative education graduates have been awarded with merit raises more frequently and have been promoted more rapidly to supervisory positions than other college graduates.
Reduced Recruitment and Training Costs
Cooperative education has been shown to be a cost-effective method for recruiting, training, and orienting new personnel. Cooperative education students do not cost as much as full-time permanent employees. Fringe benefits, which may account for 25 percent to 35 percent of personnel costs, are not usually extended to co-op students.
Co-op removes much of the guesswork from the hiring process, as the employer observes the student's performance before commitment is made to full-time employment. Although a full-time offer does not always result, the establishment of permanent co-op slots within an organization allows the employer to take advantage of a proven pool of prospective employees as openings occur
A high percentage of cooperative education students are offered full-time employment upon graduation by the participating employer, even though neither the student nor the employer is obligated beyond graduation.
A long-range cost savings is realized by co-op companies through improved employee retention when hiring former co-op students. Cooperative education students hired upon graduation by their co-op employers typically stay with the co-op company for a longer period of time. Having experienced the job requirements first-hand, these students have more realistic expectations of the job and can make an informed decision to a job offer. The longer retention of such employees translates to lower overall recruitment and training costs.
Personnel Utilization
The employer is in a position to better utilize existing employees through diversified staffing made possible through employment of college students in a cooperative education program. Releasing higher level, higher paid full-time professional employees from routine tasks that may be performed by co-op students at a lower rate of pay represents a significant savings.
The employer may experiment with new positions and new staffing arrangements through cooperative education without making extensive investments or long-range commitments.
Intangibles
Although difficult to measure, cooperative education employers report that cooperative education students generate positive public relations for the organization.
The employer-college working relationship is enhanced. The employer is able to assist the college in making its educational programs more realistic and more closely related to the working environment and demands of the employer.
