Co-op or co-operative education is one of the best program systems in Canada, where there is always a win-win situation for a student.
Along with pursuing your studies, you get real-world experience.
A co-op program is a three-way partnership between a university, employer, and student. It is like a paid internship where students earn handsomely $12-$15 per hour, and with the help of this amount, they can easily pay for their monthly housing and grocery bills.
This type of program also helps you know what kind of job you are looking for once you graduate.
Co-op programs follow an alternating pattern, meaning one semester or term of schooling alternates with one semester or term of work.
Let's make it more clear by understanding an example: Under the co-op program, you will alternate between five months of school and five months as a full-time employee of the organization you work for.
In Canada, almost all universities offer a co-op option with their academic programs. Even your campuses have co-op teachers who are helpful and friendly as they encourage students to work and coordinate with employers to offer placements to students.