Today, the University of Ottawa offers co-operative education to students in 37 programs. And two new co-op programs have just been introduced: international development and globalization, and public management.
It all started in 1980 when six mathematics professors initiated a work-placement program with high-profile employers for three of their students. They believed the trio would benefit from applying the skills they were learning in the classroom to the workplace.
The University of Waterloo had been running a co-op program since 1957, but in general there was little competition.
Three years later, the pilot project had unexpectedly grown into a co-operative education program offering work terms to some 50 students from the four engineering programs, computer science and mathematics. When the Faculty of Administration (now the School of Management) began offering co-op programs to accounting and management and information systems students in 1984, the University decided to centralize the program and report directly to the vice-rector (Academic), which it continues to do today.
In 1987, the co-op program moved from its crowded quarters at 538 and 540 King Edward to the Brooks Residence. At that time, there were only six staff members and the federal government was funding a large portion of the program. Today the program is self-funded by student fees and University contributions.
Marking a 20-year success story in co-op education
