Cooperative Education

Experiential learning will provide students the opportunity to develop Christian values and practise proper ethics in the world of work.

What is Co-operative Education?

The York Catholic District School Board’s Co-operative Education programs combine classroom learning with on-the-job training to enhance the educational experiences of participants.

The program assists high school students bound for university, college, apprenticeship or the workplace in making career decisions and developing essential skills, knowledge and attitudes.

Cooperative Education is a planned learning experience for which students earn credits towards an OSSD. The program integrates classroom theory with learning experiences in the community. Students are able to apply, expand, and refine knowledge and skills acquired through a related curriculum course. Cooperative Education is offered to Grade Eleven and Grade Twelve students in all subject areas.

Courses completed successfully or taken in the same semester as Coop can be linked to Cooperative Education experiences. The knowledge and skills of an in-school course are applied in a practical work environment. These experiences assist students to explore and prepare for future careers and make a successful transition to post-secondary education, apprenticeship, or the work place.

In addition to school-arranged experiences tied to the curriculum, the Co-operative Education program includes:

  • The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP)
  • School-to-work transition programs that combine in-school and work-based education and training for students who plan to enter the workforce directly from high school
Other forms of experiential learning that may contribute to students’ career decision making and subject knowledge as part of in-school courses.
Experiential Mode Duration Description
Job Shadowing ½ – 1 day One-on-one observation of an employee at an organization
Job Twinning ½ – 1 day One-on-one observation of a Co-op student at a placement
Work Experience 1 – 4 weeks A planned learning opportunity (within a credit course) that integrates classroom theory and learning experiences at a workplace