Cooperative Education

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Durham District School Board's (DDSB) Cooperative Education program allows students to gain secondary school credits while completing a work placement in the community. This program helps students prepare for apprenticeships, college, university or the workplace.

Students can participate in cooperative education through a:

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Enrol in the program

Speak with the cooperative education teacher or the school guidance department to participate in a cooperative education placement. Students can choose to enrol in a cooperative education course when they select their classes for the Grade 11 and/or Grade 12 year.

Benefits of the program

Cooperative education gives you an opportunity to:

  • Try out a career before finalizing plans for post-secondary education, training or employment
  • Gain valuable work experience and build your resume
  • See the relevance of classroom learning in the workplace
  • Develop the skills and work habits required in the workplace

Program delivery

The program consists of classroom and workplace learning. In collaboration with the classroom teacher, you will develop a Student Cooperative Education Learning Plan, which will show how curriculum courses relate to work experience.

Classroom component

Part of the program will take place in the classroom. The in-class components will:

  • Prepare you for community experience and allow you to demonstrate the skills and knowledge required before the start of work placement
  • Focus on integrating your learning throughout the course

Work placement component

Work placements can be in many types of work settings depending on your interests and what's available in your community. You can also try virtual placements outside of your community.

Cooperative education credits

You can earn multiple cooperative education credits while in high school. A maximum of 2 credits can be used towards the 18 compulsory credits you need to get an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program students must earn a minimum of 2 cooperative education credits because this is 1 of the 5 requirements of the SHSM program.

Cooperative education credits are also required if you are in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP).