Career Services FAQs

Co-op Education

• Cooperative education integrates a student’s academic study with on-the-job work experience. It allows students to obtain professional experience in their specific field of study. Co-op helps bridge the gap between the classroom and work and are paid opportunities.
• The majority are in Ontario, but they could be anywhere in Canada where a suitable job is available.
• Career Services at Hanson aims to partner with cooperative employers who can offer a productive, and vocationally relevant work experience with a capable and skilled student.
• The work terms form an essential component of the student’s total academic program. A mandatory requirement for graduation, the work terms are evaluated by both the College and the employer to promote maximum learning on the part of the student.

The following programs have a Co-op available:

• Mobile Application Development
• Cloud Computing

Fieldwork / Placement

• Students gain practical work experience through a fieldwork or placement component. These are unpaid placements and vary in length from program to program.
• The majority are in Ontario, but they could be anywhere in Canada where a suitable job is available.

The following programs have a placement available:

• Hospitality- Hotel and Restaurant Management
• Tourism
• Human Resources Management
• International Business Management
• I.T. Business Analysis

For the employer, it means:

• An excellent source of graduates with relevant on-the-job experience
• Opportunity to pre-screen potential employees for permanent positions and thus lower recruitment and training costs
• An opportunity to play an active role in the educational process which, in turn, provides better qualified personnel for the future
• An effective means of satisfying short-term personnel needs and freeing highly paid personnel for other assignments
• The Co-operative Education Tax Credit is a refundable tax credit. Corporations can claim 25 per cent of eligible expenditures (30 per cent for small businesses*). It is available to employers who hire students enrolled in a co-operative education program at an Ontario university or college. For more information visit https://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/credit/cetc/

For the student, this means:

• A significant asset in today’s competitive job market.
• A better understanding of classroom theory and its applications to the working environment.
• First-hand experience with current policies, procedures, and technologies, and an increased awareness of potential career paths, enhanced employment opportunities and valuable job contacts.
• An opportunity to gain a Canadian reference and work experience to add to your resume

The key to having a mutually beneficial placement experience lies in matching an employer who can offer a productive, and vocationally relevant work experience with a capable and skilled student.

• A better understanding of classroom theory and its applications to the working environment. Practical application of theory increases competence in key areas like communication and decision-making skills.
• Placements are evaluated by both the college and the employer in order to promote maximum learning on the part of the student.
• Gain first-hand experience with Canadian employers’ current policies, procedures, and technologies.
• Develop an increased awareness of potential career paths.
• Establish enhanced employment opportunities and valuable job contacts.
• It allows students to obtain professional experience in their specific field of study; increasing their success at gaining employment in a competitive labour market after graduation.

• Academic performance and mastering course content are required, so organizations can hire a student and expect them to be a productive and competent employee.
• You will benefit from highly motivated and qualified employees, while accessing and pre-screening the workforce’s newest talent; thus, lowering recruitment and training costs.
• You can be an industry leader, who values the learning process of potential future employees.
• You can assign short-term projects to be completed so other staff can focus on the essential tasks required to develop the growth and success of your business.
• You can apply for a government tax credit for up to 30% of a co-op student’s wages. For more information visit the following link https://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/credit/cetc/

Field Placements are unpaid – link to career services coop and field placements program page

Co-op Placements are paid – link to career services coop and field placements program page

A variety of factors will determine the fair salary including previous work experience, education level, command over the English language, and tasks assigned. We urge employers to consider labor market trends in making this decision. Hiring a student is a cost effective solution to your business needs.

Pay scale
Workopolis Salary Guide