Information for Co-op Employers

The Co-op Program provides employers with supports and opportunities to:

• Gain new, innovative ideas and fresh perspectives from students.
• Build and develop a fruitful relationship with members of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and the Agri-Food sector.
• Continuous access to a diverse pool of potential student candidates with varying backgrounds in the agri-food sector.
• Access hiring incentives, wage subsidies, government tax incentives such as the Cooperative Education tax credit that covers 15% (up to $5000) of student wages.
• Reduce recruitment costs by addressing labour market gaps through a growing coop program.
• Evaluate, train and mentor long-term employees before committing. Most co-op employers hire their students after graduation. 
• Each work term allows employers to explore different job designs, task varieties, and project needs that can help define the company's recruitment and staffing goals.
• Learn and build on supervisory and project management skills by taking on co-op students as new trainees and employees, and by participating in evaluations and career conversations.

Participating in the Co-op Program contributes to the overall student experience and addresses labour market needs. The Faculty ensures that co-op students are accountable to employers by maintaining regular contact with both direct supervisors and students. 

It is important for us to work together to make this a meaningful experience and preserve valued relationships between students, coop coordinator(s), and industry partners. 

The following is a non-exhaustive list of responsibilities that Co-op employers must adhere to:

• Adhere to all laws and legislation related to labour and employment such as the Occupation Health and Safety legislation, Canada Labour Code, Canadian Human Rights Act, Employment Standards legislation, and much more.
• Provide meaningful, relevant, paid employment for a minimum of 420 hours and/or 12 weeks (35-40 hours per week).
• Provide the student/Co-op Program with an accurate job description.
• Provide a written letter of offer to the student outlining offer details.
• Respect the Co-op Office’s timelines, schedules and deadlines.
• Offer reasonable notice to candidates to be interviewed and of cancellations.
• Provide an orientation to familiarize the student with their responsibilities, work environment, direct supervisor (or workplace mentor) and organization's policies, etc.
• Develop and provide a training plan for students to learn and understand the role, health and safety regulations, and other procedures necessary to the position.
• Foster a positive experiential learning environment for the co-op student that encourages career conversations and discussions on career pathways, opportunities, learning objectives, etc.
• Provide a safe and conducive work environment, especially to those with limited experience. 
• Meet with a Co-op Coordinator and the co-op student for a site visit/mid-term meeting once per co-op work term to assess student progress.
• Complete the Student Evaluation Form at the beginning and end of the work term and discuss it with the student.
• Communicate any potential difficulties in completing work terms with the student and the Co-op Coordinator.

New Co-op Employers are encouraged to review the following to ensure that processes are clear right from registering at the beginning to conducting final student evaluations at the end of each work term. 

Using UM Connect for recruitment and hiring

The Co-op Program mainly operates via the UM Connect portal where employers can post jobs and view applications. 

Visit UM Connect 

Importance of Having Career Conversations

Career conversations allow employers to learn about students’ strengths, interests, and future goals and ultimately help students to connect their current positions to their future career ideas. In some cases, duties might be enhanced after the mid-point meeting based on the knowledge, skill set, and interests that the student brings to the position.

By creating hands-on experiential learning opportunities, you are helping students develop skills and competencies that contribute to their overall academic, professional, and career success!

Program Deliverables

As soon as the student starts their work term, their direct supervisor becomes an active part of the co-op process. Supervisors provide students with feedback on their work performance through 3 evaluations, which are initiated and collected by the Faculty.

These evaluations occur at the 1-month, 2-month (or halfway) and 4-month (or end of work term) marks. The 2-month evaluation usually occurs in-person at the job site or virtually – the student arranges a Co-op Coordinator arranges a suitable time with their supervisor and Co-op Coordinator.

To ensure the health and safety of our communities, all Co-op students and employers must adhere to COVID-19 safety policies and guidelines. For more information, visit Health Canada. 

Explore this extensive list of wage subsidy and tax rebate programs employers can access when hiring a student for Summer, co-op or internship placements. 

Learn More

Suggested Timeline

Hiring Co-op students can be a rewarding process if communication with our Co-op Coordinator happens early in the academic year. We understand that companies and employers have different hiring preferences and we strive to accommodate these as best as we can.

To help you understand and adopt processes to match the Co-op Program timeline, we suggest referring to the following timelines to ensure a smooth hiring process through the Co-op Program.

Winter recruitment

Summer recruitment

Summer recruitment - Special Intake

The special intake process accommodates employers with different hiring preferences and situations (e.g. applied for and are waiting for funding, chose to hire closer to the start of the work term, new Co-op employers, etc.)

Co-op roles are:

• Full time (minimum 35 hours per week)

• 4 months in duration, spanning the academic term (ie. January - April, May - August)

• Paid
• Meaningful and challenging work that is relevant to a major in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences