CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION/INTERNSHIP DEFINITION
Georgian College is a member of the Canadian Association of Co-operative Education (CAFCE), and Education at Work Ontario (EWO) and abides by their Definition and Code of Ethics.
Co-operative Education is defined as a program that formally integrates a student’s academic studies with work experience in Co-operative employer organizations. The usual Co-op model followed is for students to alternate periods of work experience and academic study in appropriate fields of business, industry, government, social services and the professions according to the following criteria:
- Each work situation is developed and/or approved by the Co-operative educational institution as a suitable learning situation
- The student is engaged in productive work rather than merely observing
- The student receives remuneration for the work performed
- The institution monitors the student’s progress on the job
- The student’s performance on the job is supervised and evaluated by the student’s employer
- The total work experience is normally fifty percent (50%) of the time spent in academic study and in no circumstances less than thirty percent (30%).
Internship is an extended period of paid work experience that is an integral part of a program of post-secondary study. Students are employed in settings which provide work experience directly related to their academic programs and career objectives.
GOVERNMENT HUMAN RIGHTS CODES AND LABOUR CODES
The Centre for Co-operative Education/Internship & Career Services and Georgian College has a commitment to its students that, while engaged in College related activities on and off campus the student shall be free from harassment or discrimination. If either situation occurs in the workplace, students should be in contact with their Co-operative Education/Internship/Career Consultant immediately. Safety issues or any expectations to engage in any behaviour or action, which may prove a risk to the student, should be brought to the attention of your Consultant without delay.
CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION/INTERNSHIP CODE OF ETHICS
The Co-operative Education and Internship Programs at Georgian College are a partnership between our Students, the Employers and Georgian College.
The following CAFCE Recruiting Ethics are a requirement for all parties to adhere to and apply in conjunction with the procedures of Co-operative Education/Internship at Georgian College.
STUDENT ETHICS
It is the students’ responsibility to:
- Abide by the policies/procedures of their institution
- Ensure that employers are provided with accurate and appropriate requested information regarding their qualifications and interests
- Apply only for the jobs in which they have a genuine interest
- Notify the Consultant, in advance, if interviews must be rescheduled or cancelled
- Be prepared for interviews
- Not discuss/mislead employers about their job offer intentions
- Not provide information to employers on other students/employers
- Honour their acceptance of employment as a contractual agreement with the employer
- Honour their employers’ relocation policy (if applicable)
- Respect the policies of employers regarding confidential/proprietary information
- Not request a work term be turned into a full-time position
EMPLOYER ETHICS
It is the employers’ responsibility to:
- Respect the institution’s schedules regarding job postings, interview arrangements, job offers, etc
- Provide the institution with accurate job posting information including salary and relocation
- Provide reasonable notice of candidates to be interviewed and of interview cancellations
- Be informed and adhere to the work term policies and procedures of each institution
- Not discuss job offers with candidates before, during or following an interview
- Not provide candidates with information on other companies
- Not seek a candidate’s assessment of another candidate
- Provide offers (where applicable) in accordance with institutions’ published schedules
- Not submit/make multiple job offers unless prepared to accept multiple acceptances
- Honour all job/student offers (where applicable) and not renege accepted offers nor rescind offers of employment
confirm all job offers in writing
- Not transform a Co-op/Internship assignment into a full-time position encouraging a student leave their program of study
- Not expect institutions to recruit students on their behalf
- Comply with all Provincial and Federal Freedom of Information, Human Rights, and Employment Legislation
GEORGIAN COLLEGE ETHICS
It is the institutions’ responsibility to:
- Inform students, employers and other interested parties of their policies and procedures
- Provide equal services to all students and employers
- Accommodate employers’ reasonable requests for job posting, interview space and presentation facilities
- Provide students with accurate information on all recruiting employers
- Follow ethical and legal guidelines in providing student information to employers
- Notify the employer of any hiring limitations prior to them conducting interviews
- Notify employers of any students who, after being hired, do not achieve an academic level high enough to allow them to continue in the program
- Comply with all Provincial and Federal Freedom of Information, Human Rights, and Employment Legislation.
For further information contact careerandcoop@georgiancollege.ca
