How do I get a co-op position?
Begin the process of becoming a co-op student by completing the following steps:
1. Complete a co-op application that provides your educational background and work experience along with information about the co-op position desired.
2. Sign an academic release that allows the co-op coordinator to discuss your academic preparation with prospective employers.
3. Provide the co-op coordinator with a resume highlighting your academic preparation and work experience.
4. Make an appointment with the co-op coordinator by telephone: (704) 991-0182 or by email: jcarpenter6402@stanly.edu
Which programs include co-op?
Other Programs
A student in a program that does not include cooperative education experience as part of the curriculum may elect to participate in co-op as extra or additive credit. Although additive credit may not apply toward graduation requirements, the grade for co-op does count in the student's grade point average. Students who plan to transfer to a four-year institution may, in some cases, find that credit may transfer as elective hours.
Are all co-op positions paid?
Although co-op is used in most cases when referring to paid work experience, there are certain fields in which opportunities for paid experience will be limited. Tradition dictates that most of the opportunities for student placements in areas such as Criminal Justice Technology, Human Services Technology, Early Childhood Associate, and Biomedical Equipment Technology will be unpaid experience due to established precedents with other educational institutions and/or reliance by agencies upon volunteer efforts.
Even though paid positions in these areas may be limited, the College will attempt to make students aware of both paid and unpaid positions in these areas in order to assist students in obtaining valuable experience in a field setting that is not available through classroom instruction alone.
Can I use my current job for a co-op job?
A student who has a job prior to applying for the cooperative education program may be able to use his or her current job as a co-op position. The student should contact the Cooperative Education Coordinator for a determination of whether the job is related to the student's program of study. The Coordinator will work with the student and the on-site supervisor to insure that new learning will occur as a result of co-op.
Do I get academic credit for co-op?
College credit for the cooperative education experience is awarded at the completion of each cooperative education assignment. The number of credit hours earned is based on a credit/work ratio not exceeding 1 to 10. For example, a student working 20 hours per week for a 16-week period (320 total hours) is entitled to 2 hours of credit; 10 hours per week for a 16-week period (160 total hours), 1 hour of credit.
The student must earn a minimum of 90 percent of the total hours in order for credit to be awarded. If the minimum number of hours is not earned within the semester, an "Incomplete" grade is awarded. Should the hours not be completed within the specified period during the following semester, the grade is automatically changed to an "F."
The maximum number of credit hours that may be earned for co-op credit and applied toward graduation requirements varies with each program. The student may take cooperative education as extra or additive credit beyond the hours applicable toward graduation. In such a situation, the quality points earned are included in the student's overall grade point average.
Is co-op the same as an internship?
The terms internship and co-op are sometimes used interchangeably. They both refer to obtaining related work experience; however, there are several distinctions between the two when the terms are used according to their strict definitions. The distinctions usually apply to amount of time in a position, the depth of student involvement, and paid versus unpaid experience.
Which companies participate in co-op?
The following companies participated in cooperative education during the previous academic year:
| Above Average Childcare | Mark T. Lowder and Associates |
| Albemarle Women's Shelter | Martin Marietta @ Midland |
| All Star Learning | Mattie's Family Care Home |
| ARC of Stanly County | McGill CDC |
| ARC Services | Morehead Academy |
| Baptist Home for the Aged | Mount Tabor Ministries |
| Beginning Visions | Mt. Gilead Elementary School |
| Bethel Elementary School | North Carolina Department of Corrections |
| Cadillac Signs | New Hanover County Community Action, Inc. |
| Candor Elementary School | New Life Kids Care |
| Cape Fear Valley Regional Medical Center | North Albemarle Elementary |
| Carolinas Health Systems | North Carolina Employment Security Commission |
| CCMA/Labcorp | NorthEast Medical Center |
| Central Elementary School | Norwood Elementary School |
| Cheryl's Childcare | Oakboro Elementary School |
| Childcare Network | Oldcastle Stone Products |
| City of Albemarle | Palm Harbor Homes |
| CMC—Northeast Medical | PDFNC / TASC |
| COAT, Community Outreach/Archdale/Trinity | Presbyterian Hospital |
| Coltrane Webb Elementary | Quality Child Care |
| Creative Day School | RHA Howell |
| Crisis Council, Inc. | Richfield Child Development Center |
| CT Communications, Inc. | Richfield Elementary School |
| Department of Social Services | Rockingham Community College Child Development Center |
| Division of Community Corrections | Running Creek Elementary School |
| Duke University Medical Center/Clinical Engineering Department | Seven Oaks Doors and Hardware |
| Duncan Rehabilitation Services | South Stanly Middle School |
| East Albemarle Elementary School | SouthEastern Regional Medical Center |
| Elite Care Services, Inc. | Spring Arbor |
| Elite Child Care Development Center | Stanly Baptist Association |
| Employment Security Commission | Stanly Christian Ministries |
| Endy Elementary School | Stanly County Department of Social Services |
| Excel Christian Academy | Stanly County Headstart/Albemarle |
| Forrest Oakes Nursing Center | Stanly Community Christian Ministry, Inc. |
| Forsyth Hospital | Stanly Early College |
| Genesis | Stanly Manor |
| Greenville Hospital Systems Medical University Center. | Sunshine Station @ Sardis |
| Guilford Child Development, RCCR&R | Sunshine Station Child Development Center |
| Harris CT & Son | TASC/Region 3/PDFNC |
| Help Crisis Pregnancy Center | Tender Loving Center |
| High Point Regional Hospital | The Bridge of the Carolinas |
| Homes of Hope | Total Care |
| Kannapolis City Schools | Trinity Care of the Carolinas |
| Kendall Valley Elementary School | Union Regional Medical Center |
| Kiddie Playville Christian Learning Center | Wachovia |
| Kids Are First | Wake Forest Baptist University |
| KinderCare Learning Center | Waxhaw Child Development Center |
| Lapetite Academy | Wesleyan Child Development Center |
| Little Kings & Queens | West Montgomery High School |
| Little World Day Care | Western Youth Institution No. 3905 |
| Long Preschool |
Cooperative Ed Links: