What are the benefits of the Internship and the CoOp programs?
The University of Calgary supports the Internship module for both student and employer benefits. Unlike CoOp programs of alternating, usually four-month, school and work terms, Internship provides the opportunity for consecutive 8, 12 or 16-month placements. Longer placements provide the opportunity for Internship students to gain in-depth exposure of the engineering industry, technical knowledge in a specific field and the potential to make quality contributions. The clear advantage for employers of the longer work term is the ability to hire enthusiastic students who can be trained and involved in actual projects with accountabilities that extend to that of a junior engineer. In addition, students having completed their third year of academic study are in the best position to gain an understanding of how to apply schoolroom teachings to industry situations. Many Internship employers use Internship as a recruitment strategy and offer their interns a permanent position upon graduation.
