Co-operative Education Week: Waterloo co-op students earned $190 million+ last year

As Canada celebrates Co-operative Education Week, it’s good to reflect on a few facts that make the University of Waterloo a global leader in co-operative education:

• 5,200+ employers hire University of Waterloo students
• Co-op students earned $193 million in 2012/2013
• 96 per cent employment rate
• Waterloo co-operative education program has grown by 50 per cent in ten years

“When it comes to Waterloo, two things stand out: our reputation as one of the best universities in Canada and co-operative education. You can’t separate Waterloo from co-op. It’s a big deal,” says Adam Garcia, vice president, education for the Federation of Students.

New Waterloo programs embrace co-operative education

The University of Waterloo is the birthplace of co-op in Canada and has the largest co-op program of its kind in the world, however it’s not resting on its laurels. The majority of newest programs at Waterloo, like Health Promotion and Biomedical Engineering, are co-op programs. The expected co-op jobs that will be filled in the next academic year is easily more than double the number of other large co-operative education institutions.

“It’s definitely a time to celebrate and to say thank you to our incredible students, committed employers, and highly supportive university administration and community, says Peggy Jarvie, executive director of the Centre for Co-operative Education and Career Action (CECA) “In the same breath, we will continue to build, shape, and grow in our strengths as Waterloo continues to trail blaze in this highly successful format of education.”

42,000+ in-person interviews every year

More than 42,000 in-person interviews are conducted on campus at the William M. Tatham Centre for Co-operative Education and Career Action. There are also 18,600 phone interviews and 10,100 Skype interviews every year.

Learn more about co-operative education at Waterloo.