Each year we typically consider hiring a co-op placement from Collegesa nd Universities in Ontario. We've had great success from hiring co-op students from TMU and George Brown College, but would expect good things from many of the other insititutions as well. For me, TMU is my alma mater, hence a strong bias towards those students. But, there are benefits with the co-op programs from TMU and George Brown College that stand out from the rest.
TMU and George Brown College co-op students are the top GPA students in their subsequent programs.
The co-op placement occurs later in their studies (rather than a placement in the middle of their 1st year, these schools make sure that the students have had time to hone their skills longer, with the placement occuring in the latter portion of their studies).
Both schools are heavily invested in architectural technology and proficiency
For these reasons, we will continue to skew towards these programs. I'll keep an open mind, however, since it would be short-sighted to discredit other candidates. A great candidate will always be a great candidate.
All that having been said, co-op placements for a small practice (and really any architectural practice) make a lot of sense from production and financial standpoints. During the co-op placement months (depending on when they fall), it could be lined up with a busy seasons when the additional horsepower is needed at a firm. The temporary aspect of the placement makes it an easy situation to bring someone on, and knowing that in a few months they would be leaving on good terms.
In terms of production - the key is in the selection process. When you find a candidate that would be a good fit for your firm, then they would theoretically arrive the first day and start working. Training will always be required, however many tasks can be delegated to a co-op student off the get-go with relative ease. From a business practice side of things, we make sure that the co-op placement is a fully functioning member of the team - and it usually takes about 1-2 weeks for them to really find their workflow, reaping a production benefit for the following months.
Note: I highly discourage having the co-op placement simply make coffee for the staff - this would be a waste of time and resources.
From a financial side, co-op placements come with a tax break. A $3000 tax credit can be applied to the year end reconciliation. It might not sound like a lot, but say a firm hires more than one student, then the tax credit multiplies across the number of students.
Further, each additional co-op student (in addition to the year before) would qualify for grant funding under the Student Work Placement Program, a federal program administered by various parties. We have had success under STEM programs to receive grant funding (up to $7500 each) with a little work in drafting the application forms.
If you are running a practice, or are currently working in a practice and see a need for additional staff, then please consider a co-op student. You won't be disappointed!
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