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| 06-14-2004 | Previous edition: 06-11-2004 |
        
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Printer-friendly version Acquire real world experience through cooperative educationBy Charise PettitEditor in Chief For select students who want to gain practical work experience and have an edge in getting a job after graduation, cooperative education may be an option. Co-op provides students with the opportunity to gain practical experience in their field as an undergraduate. The department’s slogan says co-op is the "competitive edge" because it combines the reputation of a Purdue education with real-world experience, said Robert Stwalley, director of the cooperative education program. Co-op is essentially alternating semesters at school with semesters at the workplace, including summers. The most typical cycle is a structured five-year plan, in which students complete a normal first and last year on campus, but stretch out their sophomore and junior years over three years. In order to participate, students must be in the upper half of grade point averages in their discipline. In fall 2005, additional programs will be added in which the GPA requirement is lower so more students have the opportunity to participate. There are approximately 500 organizations that partner with Purdue interns. For example, said Stwalley, in engineering the company sizes range from General Electric and General Motors all the way down to small, independently owned firms. When looking at possible industry or government partners, coordinators look at three critical traits, said Stwalley. The intern’s work must be appropriate to her discipline, the supervisor/mentor must be of that discipline or have a solid understanding and background in it and the students must be allowed to return to the same environment so as their skills increase their responsibilities can as well. There are a tremendous number of benefits, said Stwalley, the chief one being it makes the academic training more meaningful and valuable. "Anyone who’s ever worked knows there is a difference in theory and practice," he said. "You need both sides to be an effective and productive member of society." The co-op experience also helps students select a career. Even though there are dozens of disciplines within a school, he said there can be dozens of sub-disciplines in each of those. By trying out a field, students can see if they truly enjoy it. The financial benefits of co-op are also a plus. Stwalley said students who have interned typically have more job offers and in better positions and start out at higher salaries after graduation, sometimes 15 to 20 percent more, because they have more experience. The pay while in school can essentially turn an out-of-state student to in-state, or help an in-state resident graduate debt-free, he said. Many co-ops start out at about two-thirds the beginning full-time salary, and by the last cycle are making 85 to 90 percent of regular employees. Purdue has the seventh largest optional co-op program in the nation. There are five schools with active programs. About 80 percent of involved students are in the College of Engineering, 17.5 percent in the School of Technology and the remaining are in the schools of Science, Agriculture and Liberal Arts. Stwalley said the program works best in engineering and technology. He said it started 50 years ago in mechanical engineering, which may explain why there is more support for and participation in those older programs, but they are working hard to enhance the program in all areas. Printer-friendly version |
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