Co-operative Education - COVID-19- Employer FAQ

Q: Are students required to work from home?

No. We support work-from-home and in-office working arrangements (or a mix of both) during the pandemic.  Students and their employers are expected to follow local public health guidelines and any applicable organizational health and safety protocols. 

Yes, we encourage all interviews to be conducted virtually by telephone or video.  If you require an in-person student interview at your office location, please indicate this in the job posting along with the student work location.

Q: Is there funding available to hire a co-op student?

Yes, the Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) has temporarily become more flexible during the COVID-19 pandemic.  There are ten industry partners administering the SWPP program and our co-op programs meet the eligibility requirements.  Your organization may be eligible for $5000-$7500 to support your co-op student hiring needs. Please contact Carrie Steele (csteele@uoguelph.ca) if you have any questions about the SWPP funding. 

Q: Do you have tips to onboard co-op students remotely?

A: Yes, please refer to the Employer Guide to Onboarding Remotely

Q: We have a vaccination/COVID-19 Policy in place at our organization, how can we share this information with co-op students?

A: The University of Guelph cannot provide advice to employers regarding safety precautions, vaccination policies in job postings or the workplace. We highly recommend that employers and students with questions on this topic seek their own legal advice

Click here if you are ready to post your job!

If you require additional information, please contact:

Carrie Steele, Employer Development Coordinator, (226) 218 -7137  or csteele@uoguelph.ca