Why Co-op?
We see you as our partners in enhancing our students' educational experience. Our program is flexible, with students available for short (4 months) or longer-term work placements (8, 12 or 16 months).
There are many reasons why you might want to hire a co-op student. Some of the benefits of having a
co-op student as part of your team include:
A fresh, new perspective in your workplace
Build your talent pipeline through a trial period that may turn into future employment and the ability to bring a student back for more than one work placement term
Provide assistance with specific projects
May assist in branding your organization on campus when they return to their studies
Our Students
Committed: Students commit to completing their work placement in its entirety. Our students are eager to apply their knowledge in a professional environment.
Educated: Students have met specific criteria for admission into our program and many have excelled academically.
Prepared: To ensure their success, students complete a co-operative education and internship preparation course and must attend a mandatory pre-departure session prior to leaving on their work placement.
Diverse: Students come from all 8 of our undergraduate programs including Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Environmental, Geological, Engineering Physics and Mechanical.
Work Placement Requirements
Co-op Student Skill Development
- Work placements must be focused on the development and application of engineering skills; labour and administrative positions do not qualify
- Work placements must be full-time hours and paid; part-time positions do not qualify
Supervision
- We recommend that co-op students be supervised by or receive in-depth mentorship from a licensed Professional Engineer when possible
- Co-op staff will conduct a site visit with the co-op student and their supervisor once during the work term placement
- Supervisors will be required to complete evaluations of the co-op student's performance
Start Dates
- Work placements begin in January, May or September
Term Length
- Work placements may be 4, 8, 12 or 16 months in duration
- Please note that students who have just finished their second year of study can only do a 4-month placement from May to August. They must return to their third year of study before going out again on a longer term placement.
Recruit Through Our Program
If you have not previously posted or hired through our USask CareerLink system, then you will need to register an employer profile in CareerLink.
Post your co-op job on our exclusive Engineering Co-op Internship Program job board in CareerLink. Only students who have been admitted to our program have access to this exclusive job board.
Choose and interview your candidates. You are welcome to contact students directly to schedule interviews or our program staff can provide assistance with the scheduling process.
Hire a USask engineering student! Please extend the offer directly to students and cc' engineering.coop@usask.ca.
Please ensure that our co-op office has been made aware of your co-op student hire. Our Engineering Co-op Internship Program is a comprehensive, academic work-integrated learning program in which students maintain full-time student status and receive credit.
Recommended Recruitment Timelines
Our program uses open recruitment when hiring students. We recommend the following recruitment timelines, however, program staff can work with you to set up timelines that suit your hiring needs.
- Post approximately 4-months prior to the work term beginning
- Post for two weeks
- Screen candidates for one week
- Interview for one week
- Select candidates and make an offer directly to the student (cc' engineering.coop@usask.ca). We encourage you to contact our co-op office to confirm student availability/eligibility before extending an offer.
Students can be hired at any time throughout the year, however we suggest following our recommended recruitment timelines as this is when our students are more actively searching, applying and accepting co-op positions based on the anticipated start date of the work term.
Employer Recruitment Opportunities
Funding Opportunities
Through the Government of Canada, there is a Student Work Placement Program. Employer Delivery Partners are a group of recognized associations and organizations that administer the program by providing wage subsidies to employers that offer quality student work placements. As our employer partner, you may be eligible to secure subsidies through one of these Employer Delivery Partners.
Are you eligible to apply?
| Employer eligibility assessment | Student eligibility assessment |
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The employer is:
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The student is:
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| Remember that the final decisions lie with the SWPP funding partners. This is to provide employers with guidance only. | |
BioTalent Canada Student Work Placement Program (for employers with a focus on biotechnology, bioenergy, biohealth, etc.)
Canadian Council for Aviation & Aerospace (CCAA) Student Work Placement Program (for employers in the aerospace industry)
- Firms whose primary activity is the generation, transmission and distribution of electrical power.
- Firms engaged in the manufacturing of equipment and the provision of services necessary to the generation, transmission and distribution of electrical power.
- Firms engaged in supporting the sector including renewables, in any of the following areas: R & D, business development, energy efficiency, energy storage, electrical vehicle integration, smart cities.
https://electricityhr.ca/workplace-solutions/wage-subsidy-programs/
Environmental Careers Organization (ECO) Canada Student Work Placement Program (for employers in the environmental sector or completing environmental projects)
From job creation to wage funding, to training and post-secondary accreditation, through expert labour market research and customized human resources solutions for business, ECO Canada champions the environmental sector, and the end-to-end career of environmental professionals.Food Processing Skills Canada (FPSC) Student Work Placement Program (for employers in the food and beverage manufacturing industry)
Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) Work Integrity Learning Digital Subsidy (for employers in fintech, entertainment and gaming, cyber security, etc.)
Magnet Student Work Placement Program (for all employers).
The Magnet Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) brings together employers, students, and post-secondary school stakeholders to create quality work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities.
The program provides employers with wage subsidies to hire post-secondary students for paid work experiences. Students in turn benefit with quality work experience so they can secure employment in their chosen fields of study.
Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) Gearing Up (for employers in the mining industry)
The Talent Opportunities Program (TOP) is an initiative of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce designed to help employers located anywhere in Canada hire college and university students on WIL placements.
Funding will cover up to 50% wage subsidy (up to a maximum of $5,000).
Students hired from under-represented groups may be eligible to have up to 70% of their wages subsidized. This is determined on a case-by-case basis at the end of each work term.
Eligibility rules can be found below and in the TOP Program Guidelines & FAQs. Please ensure you meet the eligibility criteria before applying.
TECHNATION’s Career Ready Program (for employers immersing a student in the use of technology; both tech and non-tech organizations are encouraged to apply)
Trucking HR is a national non-profit organization focusing on advancing modern HR solutions for the trucking and logistics workforce. The SWPP program works to increase the job-readiness of students registered in various transportation, logistics and supply chain related programs at Canadian post-secondary institutions.
Venture for Canada (supporting new venture employers; startups and small businesses)
2023 Program Statistics
146 students placed across Canada from all 8 disciplines
15 students began in January, 122 in May, and 9 in September
$24.50/hr average salary for 2nd year students, $27.50/hr for upper year students
Underrecognized groups in our program: 20% women, 13% international, and 4% Indigenous
An additional 256 students joined our program this spring and will be ready for placements next year