Engineer Your Talent Pipeline
Case Western Reserve University’s Engineering Co-op Program gives employers the opportunity to employ some of the best and brightest collegiate talent available in Northeast Ohio. Students come to CWRU for a challenge—and anticipate a similar level of challenge during their Co-op assignment.
What is Cooperative Education (Co-op)?
Cooperative education is a voluntary academic program that enables engineering and computer science students to alternate classroom studies with career-based experiences in industry. For graduate students, the experience can be tied to their research thesis. Typical co-op work terms are spring and summer or summer and fall semesters. Students can complete more than one co-op if their schedule permits. To learn more about our students, check out CWRU’s Institutional Research’s website.
Benefits of Employing Co-op Students
| Employer Benefits | Student Benefits |
|---|---|
| Meet, train, and assess potential future hires | Enhance classroom knowledge with real-world application |
| Employ some of the best and brightest collegiate talent available | Clarify academic and professional goals |
| Remain current with the latest developments in theory and method | Establish strong relationships with employers |
| Develop a partnership with Case Western Reserve University | Increase career possibilities at graduation |
| Benefit from the technical and creative contributions of a CWRU student | Gain new technical and professional skills |
The CWRU Engineering Co-op staff strives to support mutually beneficial Co-op relationships through training, monitoring, and follow-up of students:
- All Co-op students are eligible to work in the U.S., have received approval from their academic department, and meet the 2.5 GPA requirement.
- Students are cleared to spend seven months in a full-time Co-op. A seven-month Co-op increases student productivity and contribution, and mitigates time and cost for training.
- Co-op staff monitor student performance throughout the Co-op experience to assure a successful partnership. We review student evaluations and corporate feedback to help evolve the program as industry expectations continue to change.
Employer Eligibility
- Create a specific job description to post in Handshake (recommended)
- Provide on the job mentorship and technical support
- Assign projects involving engineering skills and critical thinking
- Fill out student evaluations - midterm and final
- Typical Co-op salary is about 2/3 an entry-level salary for undergraduates, more for graduate students
Get Involved on Campus
Interested in becoming a CWRU Engineering Co-op partner? Get in touch with our team at 216.368.5119 for a conversation about the program and how we can work together to provide a learning experience that will be meaningful and valuable to our students—and to your organization. Find the best talent on campus by posting open positions in Handshake. Find more information about using our jobs platform, Handshake.
Recommended Recruitment Schedule
The Co-op program is aligned with the schedule of the academic year. Employers can increase their chances of hiring a student when the academic calendar and company recruiting plans coincide. Our fall career fair occurs during the month of September and our spring career fair during the month of February (sometimes early March). Learn more about the career fair dates and registration through the Office Post Graduate Planning & Experiential Learning.
Aside:
Download this guide on getting started with Handshake [https://engineering.case.edu/sites/default/files/ handshake_for_employers_coop.pdf].