Co-operative Education

Apply for a Co-op program at PLC to use your academic knowledge and abilities on the job.

Co-operative (Co-op) education alternates semesters of classroom studies with paid, full-time work, giving you hands-on experience that will make you job ready when you graduate.

The Co-operative (Co-op) Education program allows students to get paid full-time work in the work related to their studies.  During Co-op students won’t be attending classes anymore. Depending on your program of study, Co-op can be five months or ten months. Students are required to coordinate with the Co-op department before they start the Co-op, this can be 2 months before they are supposed to start the program.  The co-op department will help students in finding jobs and give them the resources needed during their Co-op.

Co-op Info Sessions

Are you ready for Co-op but don’t know where to start? Have you got any Co-op questions? Every Wednesday a representative from the Co-op team will be available in person (Surrey Campus) or Online to answer any questions you might have about Co-op.

Started Co-op?

Below is a list of commonly used forms for current Co-op students. These forms should only be used once directed to by the Co-op office.

Watch a recent Co-op student’s testimony about his experience in the Co-op program 

Co-operative Program FAQ

Often, students apply for employment opportunities posted on Pacific Link College’s Job Board and the Co-op department forwards the resumes and cover letters of qualified students to employers and arranges the interviews. Employers make the final hiring decision, often in consultation with the Co-op department. Students are also encouraged to discover work opportunities in other career platforms like Indeed, Monster, Job Bank, and Workopolis or create their employment work opportunities.

Yes, you can continue working at your workplace if your work is related to your studies. Please discuss first with your employer about doing co-op there, then contact the Co-op department. The Co-op department will then contact your employer concerning this so you can proceed with Co-op.

You can start your Co-op after completion of at least 80% of the courses. This means after completion of 8 courses for 2 year programs and after completion of 4 courses for 1 year programs.  Please contact the Co-op department when you have completed 80% of your courses. Email us: co-op@plvan.com

The length of Co-op depends on the program you are enrolled in. For 2 years program, the length is 39 weeks (780 hours). For the 1 year program, the length is 20 weeks (400 hours).

To complete co-op, we will help you with the job placement and it’s up to the student to be willing to apply for it or not. Students are advised to look for work opportunities as well.

Students are required to submit the Co-op documents as soon as they start Co-op

Your work supervisor will be monitoring and evaluating your day-to-day job activities. A final evaluation will be submitted to the college about your overall performance in the work, this includes how you contributed to the employer’s business, your ability to deliver on set objectives and goals, and your job development. Students will be required to submit an evaluation about their workplace, day-to-day activities, skills they improved and learned, and what they need to do to keep on improving.

We advise our students to complete the Co-op program because of the hands-on work experience gained, career exploration, and development of new skills. If a student does not want to complete Co-op, they must first contact or Co-op team.