Co-op Work Term Success Toolkit

Summary of Co-op Work Term Success Toolkit Project

A project that I had the opportunity to create and collaborate on, is the Co-op Work Term Success Toolkit. This project was created to provide a guide for co-op students to aid in their co-op work term journey. Toolkit would provide advice and information for different the stages of the co-op work term journey and was divided into three sections; competing and securing a work term, managing a work term and integrating a recent work term experience. Each section of toolkit contained resources and information associated with co-op events such as job search, information on relocated work terms, international work terms and preparation before going on a work term in competing and securing your work term. While, the managing your work term section featured content such as providing a context of the different aspects of the workplace. Integrating your recent work term consisted of information about creating an ePortfolio and reflection of a student’s work term journey. Toolkit is resource for co-op students to rely on during their preparation and while on work term in order to set and achieve their professional goals.

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Artifact Story:

Navigating the Work Term Experience: Co-op Work Term Success Toolkit

This is a cover page and a portion of the outline of Toolkit.

This is a chart on better practices when working in the workplace that I prepared for toolkit.

During my role as a Student Services Programming Assistant, I was given the project to create a student guide for students on a work term which has been titled as the Co-op Work Term Success Toolkit. This toolkit was created with the purpose of preparing students who securing a work term, managing their work term and integrating their recent work term. I created toolkit by working with staff in the development of toolkit sections while emplolying my student perspective in creation of content. In the process of developing toolkit, I conducted interviews with students who completed relocated work terms in order to gain a perspective of co-op students working outside Toronto and their preparation before going on a work term. With staff feedback, I was able to improve toolkit and present toolkit at the end of my work term with my approaches to toolkit improvements.

Results

At the end of my work term, I presented toolkit in a virtual presentation with an overview revisions to toolkit and my approaches in toolkit improvements. That is, I approached the feedback by utilizing a uniform co-op work term journey perspective and creating foundations in goal-setting, feedback, reflection and eportfolio. In my presentation, I displayed the changes, my thought process behind the development of toolkit and addtions of “Quick Thoughts” that presented an actionable manner to students. Moving forward from my development of toolkit, I suggested introducing toolkit to students as a resource in their navigation in their work term. Considering that, Arts & Science Co-op prepares students from being co-op work term ready to career ready as working professionals.

Reflection

I enjoyed the opportunity to impact student experience which has fulfilled my goals of helping others such as students. Toolkit provided me the opportunity examine student experience from a interdisciplinary lens. From this project, I was able to investigate personal experiences and provide innovative solutions based on the evidence of real situations. As a social theorist of work, health and society, I am now equipped with the experience of utilizing institutional ethnography in the exploration of personal experiences such as the student co-op journey and developing innovative solutions to social problems. Even more, I am able to apply my experience to understanding patient experiences and decision-making and rationalizing solutions to problems in health care experiences.