Cooperative Education

Employer Information

Employer Benefits

Cooperative Education provides a source of well-qualified, pre-screened, highly motivated employees. Candidates are readily available from a conscientiously administered, University-based program which is well-designed, reliable, and fully-tested.

Co-op can help employers to:

  • Cut recruitment costs,
  • provide for both short-term and long-term employment needs,
  • locate highly motivated college-educated students who can be immediately productive,
  • relieve high salaried professionals from time-consuming tasks that provide excellent learning experiences for students,
  • observe the potential and performance of possible future employees without an obligation to hire,
  • train future employees to specific needs,
  • develop a staff which has a proven job retention rate.

What Are the Employer’s Responsibilities?

  • Create a job description.
  • Advise the Cooperative Education Office of your hiring decision.
  • Host the students’ faculty advisor(s) and the Co-op office for a site visit.
  • Contact the Cooperative Education Office or faculty supervisor if any problems develop during the semester.
  • Complete the Employer Evaluation Form that will be e-mailed to you during the last third of the semester.

When Can Students Work?

  • Student work cycles coincide with our semesters and last approximately 15 weeks:
    • FALL: September to December
    • SPRING: January to April
    • SUMMER: May to August
  • There is flexibility in beginning and end dates. Employers may request that students commit to back-to-back cycles or positions can be extended if there are increased responsibilities and it is agreeable to all parties.
  • Students are obliged to work a minimum of 100 hours per semester. Full-time opportunities are particularly valuable during the summer.  Students working full-time over the summer are obliged to work 35 to 40 hours per week for 15 weeks.

How Do Employers Get Started?

  1. Contact the office of Cooperative Education

  2. When approved as academically viable, the job is advertised to students.
    Please note: We are not able to accept Co-op opportunities with home-based businesses/organizations. If you require any further clarification of this policy, please contact our office directly.

  3. As students indicate interest in your position their resumes are emailed to you through the Community & Academic Partnerships System.

  4. Screen, interview and hire as you would any new employee.

What Will Employers Do During the Co-op?

During the course of the semester, help the student meet their academic requirements:

  1. Complete the Employer Evaluation form Wilmington University provides and review it with the student.
  2. Meet with the student’s faculty advisor at least once during the semester.
  3. You may evaluate a co-op student using your own employee evaluation methods.