Employer Frequently Asked Questions

There is no charge to post jobs on our online job boards, or conduct interviews on campus.

We charge modest fees for employers to host information booths or sessions on campus, or to attend Career Fair.

Our job board is accessible to all University of Lethbridge students and alumni.

We follow the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers Ethical Recruitment Guidelines, as well as our own Policies for Job Postings and Policies for Recruiting on Campus.

The Co-operative Education (Co-op) Program is designed to assist students in gaining paid, full-time work experience in their field of study, while fulfilling the short-term recruiting needs of employers. Students make positive contributions to the organization through planned, supervised work terms. Through Co-op, you have the opportunity to recruit bright, ambitious students that are proactively invested in preparing for their career. Whether you are looking to evaluate potential future employees or would like assistance for projects or short term coverage, co-op students can be an integral component of your recruiting strategies.

• Access to employees with enthusiasm, new ideas, and current technical skills
• Access to employees with a proven ability to learn and adapt to change
• Cost-effective and low-risk opportunity to evaluate potential permanent employees
• Cost-effective method of meeting short-term recruiting needs
• Allows permanent employees to concentrate on higher level duties and responsibilities
• Assistance from the Co-op office with many of the recruiting functions
• Establishes relationships between the business community and post-secondary education
• Share in the training and development of the workforce
• Establishes your presence on campus

The employer’s role and expectations of a Co-op student should not differ from that of any other work arrangement. We ask that you provide a safe, relevant and challenging work environment. In order to assist in the success of the experience we also ask that a supervisor assist the student with a work-term learning plan (learning objectives) at the beginning of the work term, participate in an on-site visit and complete a performance evaluation at the end, all of which require only a modest time investment.

A meaningful Co-op placement is one that complements the student's education and broadens their skills. The primary objective is to provide the student with a planned, supervised work experience that will enhance their academic learning.

• Full-time employment (minimum 35 hours per week)
• Competitive wage (no wage mandated)
• Minimum 12 weeks (corresponding roughly with the semesters: May–Aug, Sept–Dec and Jan–Apr)
• Work terms are usually 4, 8 or 12 months in duration
• Work term extensions are possible in four-month increments
• The work term must be relevant to the student's academic studies

A Co-op representative visits the work site once during each four-month period of employment. These site visits enable Co-op to learn about the student's experience and progress, as well as the organization’s culture, current technology being used, work flows, and how contemporary work place issues are being approached by an organization.

Co-op work terms are graded on a pass/fail basis. To pass the Co-op work term, students must complete a Work-term Learning Plan, participate in a site visit, receive a satisfactory performance evaluation from the employer and attend a focus group.

The Co-op Program has several services that assist the recruiter’s needs by:

• Compiling posting information and posting positions based on job specifications
• Collecting and sending cover letters, resumes and transcripts
• Notifying all applicants once shortlists have been completed
• Organizing interviews (in-person, telephone, and video conference)
• Ensuring students are sufficiently prepared for interviews
• Providing interview rooms on Lethbridge and Calgary campuses, free of charge
• Being flexible with recruitment deadlines and quick turnaround times when required
• Preparing students prior to their work term regarding the expectations of employers

Co-op encourages students to develop a “whole person” approach to reflect the practices of many employers. This includes strong classroom performance, evidence of broader focus (extracurricular activities and/or community service) and a record of responsible employment. Students are required to complete a series of pre-admission workshops and professional development series.

Co-op operates on a market simulation model, which means that an organization may post, shortlist, interview and make offers within the organization or department's time frame.

Co-op personnel recognize that your recruitment needs do not always conform to University deadlines, therefore we attempt to maximize flexibility in this regard.

Co-op students must consider each offer they receive on its own merits and accept or reject it on that basis. Co-op’s role is to help students through the decision-making process but not to make the decision for them, since doing so would detract from their learning about real-world work place processes.

Although we do not have hard deadlines for job postings, we recommend posting jobs 3-6 months in advance. Interviewing candidates within two weeks of closing a posting is preferable in order to ensure that candidates are still available and have not secured employment elsewhere. We also recommend that the hiring process be complete at least two weeks prior to the end of the semester.

Co-op student salaries will vary by type of assignment, economic sector and sub-sector, geographical location, how many courses the student has completed towards their degree and whether the student has completed previous Co-operative Education work terms.

There are various resources available to help you secure funding for a Co-op student.

Get funding!

In 2016, students earned between $2,800 and $5,400 per month. However, it is the experience, not the wage, which ultimately provides for a successful Co-op term.