The Nova Scotia Community College is committed to providing students with a superior linkage between the theory of the classroom and the reality of the workplace. The co-op term provides the students with a further opportunity to apply and exercise their acquired skills within a work environment. The contact the students have with the workplace also helps them to become acquainted with the work culture and prepares them for the challenges of full-time employment. The benefits of co-operative education are not exclusive to the students. Employers profit from having bright, eager and talented students enter their organizations, bringing with them new knowledge and fresh perspectives.
Instructors benefit from the interaction they have with the industrial and business communities.
Co-operative education helps to nurture and maintain the partnerships needed to ensure that students have every advantage in their quest for sustained employment. The duration of the co-op must equate to an additional 30 to 50 per cent of the total amount of time spent in the core program. The students must be involved in productive work that is relevant to their field of study. The students are expected to receive some form of remuneration for the work performed. Exceptions will be based on limitations created by campus schedules and the seasonal nature of certain occupations.