Cooperative education has been a widely utilized work-based method of instruction in Indiana for many years. This instructional strategy is invaluable in allowing students to gain the skills necessary in their selected career area. Further, students have the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills learned in both academic and elective classes when participating in cooperative education. Cooperative education programs empower students to be responsible, ethical, and productive employees—characteristics essential for life in the 21st century. Establishing and maintaining quality cooperative education programs is imperative in fostering the development of these vital characteristics.

Assisting students in making the transition from school to the workplace and understanding the correlation between school and the workplace has become vital to every student’s future success. Students must be adequately prepared for this transition. Whether a student leaves high school and goes directly into the workplace, attends a two-year or a four-year university, enrolls in an apprenticeship program, or enlists in the military, a cooperative education experience will benefit all students as they continue to pursue their career interests.

To ensure that a cooperative education experience is beneficial for students, those involved in education must work directly with business, industry, and labor to ensure that the necessary skills and competencies are taught so that students will be equipped to meet the needs and demands of business, industry, and labor in the future. The partnership between the school and community is vital to the success of a quality cooperative education program.

Register Here