Cooperative Education

Cooperative Education is an experiential mode of learning whereby students are given the chance to extend classroom learning experiences with planned potential career and employment opportunities. Students will also experience the practical aspects of a work placement and the demands of employment in a changing work world.

Cooperative Education courses include a classroom component, comprising pre-placement and integration activities. Prior to their placements, students attend structured orientation sessions as part of their classroom component of the program. The work placement component of the course requires students to attend a placement for 2.5 hours five days per week. Students share and analyze their placement experiences with their teachers and peers in structured integration sessions. Cooperative education teachers conduct placement learning assessments and evaluate their students’ performance in pre-placement, placement, and reflective learning activities. We cannot guarantee placement in a student’s first choice of career area.

For more information about Co-operative Education visit the Board’s Co-op webpage.

CONDITIONS OF ENROLLMENT

Minimum age is 15 years.
A Cooperative Education application form must be completed and handed in with a student option sheet.
Consultation with a guidance counsellor is recommended.
There must be a successful interview with a Cooperative Education teacher.
The related subject course Grade 12 must be completed before or at the same time as the Cooperative Education course.

OYAP-FAST

Focused Apprenticeship Skills Training (FAST) is an accelerated stream within OYAP that enables Grade 11 and 12 students to gain additional apprenticeship experience through extra co-operative education credits while completing their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

To participate in OYAP-FAST, students must:

Meet standard OYAP eligibility requirements
Be at least 15 years old
Have earned a minimum of 14 OSSD credits
Complete an OYAP Participation Form during their co-op placement
Provide signed parent/guardian consent if under 18

Note: By signing the consent form, students and caregivers acknowledge that withdrawal from OYAP-FAST requires completion of all regular OSSD requirements.

COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS

Students must:

Earn 8–11 co-operative education credits in skilled trades placements
Be registered as an OYAP apprentice (with a Registered Training Agreement) by the time the eighth co-op credit is completed

Students who meet these requirements and all other OSSD criteria will receive:

The OYAP-FAST seal on their diploma
OYAP-FAST listed in the Specialized Program field of their Ontario Student Transcript (OST)

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

A Grade 12 math course is recommended but not mandatory
The OYAP-FAST pathway may have post-secondary limitations; students and parents should review all options before committing

STEPS TO ENROLL

Select OYAPFS during course registration in myBlueprint (with parent/guardian approval if under 18 years) 
Complete the Student Intent to Participate Form 
Attend a pathway planning meeting with a Guidance Counsellor 
Consult with the Co-op Teacher regarding placements, OYAP participation, and RTA 
Submit the signed OYAP-FAST consent form (required for students under 18)

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