Co-op Procedures for Employers
- Develop basic job descriptions, including majors, skills, student learning objectives, and pay range - Posting Template
- Designate a Co-op contact in your organization
- Keep the CDC informed of new student hires
- Forms required each term student employed:
- Co-op and Internship Information Sheet
- Employer Evaluation
For enrollment certification purposes, SIUE sponsored Co-op participation is considered equivalent to full time enrollment. Formal enrollment in an approved Co-op course through the CDC is required.
Types of Experiences
1. Cooperative Education (Co-op)Virtual Co-ops and Internships
The same standards required of traditional Co-ops and internships apply to virtual internships, except they are not required to be located on the employer's job site.
Considerations for virtual Co-ops and internships:
- Direct supervision and major-related, meaningful projects and experiences are the key classroom to career components required for quality internships
- Multiple daily correspondences with students through spaces such as Zoom or Skype are necessary
- Design structured projects and assignments with scheduled progress meetings providing students rich learning opportunities
- Afford students opportunities to participate in virtual meetings, workshops, and events
- Provide students necessary accommodations to work remotely
- Offer regular feedback to students in order to facilitate learnig and professional growth
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Common Criteria for Co-op, Internship, and Microinternship
For a position to be eligible for the Co-op and internship program:
- The positions must be approved by the Career Development Center
- Start and end dates for each term and experience must correspond with the SIUE academic calendar
- Positions must be in the student's major field of study or career path
- Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 for undergraduate level, 3.0 for graduate level
- The position must be for at least 60 work-hours per academic term
- Students must be directly supervised
Additional Position Criteria for Co-op
For a position to be eligible for Co-op:
- Positions must be paid
- Employer must be willing to retain students at least two (2) academic terms
- International students and students in the School of Engineering may work one (1) term
Hiring International Students for Co-op
Co-op qualifies for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for International students, but these students must be at SIUE for at least nine (9) months before beginning a co-op assignment.
- Part-time Co-op: Employment of 20 hours or less per week
- Full-time Co-op: Employment of more than 20 hours per week. If engaged in for one year or more, this time may be deducted from Optional Practical Training (OPT)
- Employment authorization is not needed when offering employment, but it is needed to begin work: Letters of eligibility can be obtained through the International Student Services
- Positions must be major related and further the student’s academic interests
Start and end dates for CPT must be in accordance with pre-established deadlines for each academic term.
Additional Position Criteria for Microinternship
- Positions must be paid
- Positions must be project-based
Illinois Cooperative Work Study Program Grant (ICWSP)
What is it: The Illinois Cooperative Works Study Program (ICWS), through the Illinois Board of Higher Education, awards grant funds to colleges and universities to support paid, major-related work experiences for students who are Illinois residents, working for employers located in Illinois. The ICWS grant funds are distributed to employers in connection with the Cooperative Education and Internship Program, which provides opportunities for students to apply what they learn in the classroom to real world work experiences. Employers must be licensed and domiciled in IL to participate in the grant program.
How do we receive funds: The grant reimbursement works as follows, if you hire an eligible student, your company would be reimbursed up to 50% of their wages, up to $2,500 (or the specified dollar amount for the period), for the student during the academic term. Grant funding is term based, and funds are distributed on a first come, first served basis. Your company may be able to receive funds for more than one student per term, depending upon availability of funds.
Those of you with multiple memberships/ownership interests are encouraged to submit letters of intent for each entity; however, in order to allow a variety of employers to participate in the program, we ask that you request reimbursement for only one of those entities per academic term. Should there be remaining funds toward the end of the grant period, you may have the opportunity to submit a request for wage reimbursement for additional entities for which letters of intent were previously submitted.
Once the company and student paperwork has been completed, you will then begin working with our Office Manager for reimbursement.
Students and employers are required to participate in the SIUE Cooperative Education Program through the Career Development Center to be eligible.
How does my company get involved: Contact Tammy Taylor tammtay@siue.edu for more information and to determine eligibility.
