Info for Employers

Introduction | Posting Jobs/eRecruiting | Resources

Introduction

• What is Co-op
• How to Get Started
• Benefits to Employers
• Quotes
• Directions to Campus
• Printable Employer Brochure (.pdf)

What is Co-op?

Co-op is short for Cooperative Education. Co-op is an academic program based on work experience that involves the student, an employer, and the University.

Co-op is…

• Full-time work at a company (no courses are taken during this time) for the student, typically three to six months in length. Part-time Co-ops are also available and should be at least 10 hours a week and no more than 20 hours.
• A paid work experience.
• A work assignment in which a minimum of 50% of duties are engineering related.
• A work experience for which University-credit is earned.
• The company supervisor should meet regularly with their co-op student. Students are required to document goals for their experience; the supervisor should sign and review the students goals offering guidance as necessary. At the end of the co-op experience, the company supervisor is required to complete an evaluation of the students performance.
  

The Engineering Co-op Program promotes job opportunities to all UW Seattle Campus students currently active with the Co-op program (approximately 500 at any given time). We also promote opportunities to underrepresented minority students through the Minority Scholars Engineering Program (MSEP) and to female students through Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE).

How the Co-op Program Works…

• Students must meet minimum educational requirements to participate in Co-op.
• Students upload resume materials into eRecruiting
• Students review the list of available positions and apply for jobs electronically
• Resume packets are forwarded to the employer for consideration
• Employer notifies selected students and coordinates an interview schedule - Opportunities to interview on campus are available upon request
• Employers notify Co-op Office when positions have been filled
• Co-op experience commences - Student complete course requirements. See course requirements
• Employer evaluates student and student evaluates employing site
• Students return to campus to continue academic studies
  

Minimum Requirements for Hiring a Co-op Student

• provide a written job description
• pay the student an hourly wage or salary
• provide a committed supervisor for the student
  

Hiring International Students

• international students are eligible to be hired
• the University of Washington issues work authorization in compliance with INS Regulations
• the student will provide the company with written work authorization for personnel files
• students are paid according to company guidelines
  

Considerations

• Employment should relate to the student's field of study and be considered a significant educational experience.
• Co-op assignments should require creative problem solving and not be limited to repetitive or routine tasks.
• Co-op students should be assigned to a supervisor who will provide guidance during the work assignment and complete a written evaluation at the end of the experience.
• Employers should demonstrate a genuine interest in integrating the students as team members of the organization.
• Co-op students should receive a fair and competitive salary. Please see the Statistics section for average salary information.
• Students must return to the University of Washington for at least one quarter of academic studies upon completion of the Co-op experience.
• Employers may wish to consider assisting students with travel expenses for jobs out of state.
• Co-op students are not eligible for unemployment compensation after the completion of the co-op experience (work term).
• There is no employer fee to participate in the Engineering Co-op Program. However, students pay a fee (see below), which your company may choose to reimburse.
  
  

The quarterly co-op fee for students is as follows:

	Undergraduates	Graduates
Full-time work (2 credits per quarter)	$330	$450
Part-time work (1 credit per quarter)	$165	$225

How to Get Started?

1. Contact the Engineering Co-op Office at (206) 543-8711, coop@engr.washington.edu
2. If you have an established e-Recruiting account, we will update your account information.
3. If you don't have an account, click here to link to Experience, and once you have an established account, you will be able to post positions to our students through the UW Engineering Co-op Program.
4. We have 2 interview rooms available for Employers. Reserve a room with the Co-op office four weeks in advance, if you wish to hold on campus interviews.
5. IMPORTANT: Notify co-op with name of candidate(s) you hire as soon as possible after offering the position so that we can register the student(s) with the Co-op program..

Benefits

By employing co-op students, organizations receive the following benefits:

• a proven, cost-effective method to meet both immediate and long-range human resource needs
• an efficient means to recruit and train new employees
• the opportunity to evaluate candidates under actual working conditions
• the opportunity to hire energetic and enthusiastic employees
• an enriched relationship with the University and its students

Services Available to Employers

• Resume materials submitted electronically.
• Interview room(s) to conduct interviews on campus (4 week advance notice required)
• Database search of available co-op students - eRecruiting
• Guidance in reserving space on campus for group meetings

Quotes

Students

"The experience was everything that I had hoped it would be and more. I now have the opportunity for future employment at this company and the skills demanded to go elsewhere."
—co-op student at Boston Scientific Corporation

"My co-op experience has been a very useful tool in my continual growth as an engineer."
—co-cop student at PICCO

"My supervisor made sure I felt that my accomplishments were meaningful to the company. Full-timers showed an interest in my duties and treated me like a valued employee."
—co-op student at The Dow Chemical Company

Employers

"The program allows us to interact with students through various events and assists us in the communication process between the employer and the students. We consider this program a vital tool in HAL's College Recruiting efforts."
—Recruiter, HAL Computer Systems

"We have been using the resources of the Engineering Co-op Program for many years. They present us with a pre-qualified pool of candidates. This allows us to effectively use our interview time to determine the best possible match."
—Director of Hardware Development, Siemens Information & Communication Networks, Inc.

"We have had great success having students come down to our manufacturing plant. The two original co-ops who came to our site in the late '80s now sit on the Plant's Leadership Team. They are among the best and brightest stars of the company."
—Human Resources, BBA Nonwovens Washougal, Inc.

Directions to Campus

Driving Directions:

Download the following .pdf for directions

Parking on Campus:

Stop at any gatehouse when arriving on campus for a parking pass. The fee is $10/day for parking on campus. Parking Lots N18-21 are ideal. Ask for clarification on getting to Loew Hall, and feel free to call us if you have any questions: 206-543-8711.

Campus Map:

Link to a map of the University of Washington Campus: http://www.washington.edu/home/maps/northcentral.html?low

Lodging Information

Visit the following website for Lodging Resources near the UW.