Co-op program is VCU’s ‘best kept secret’

How can you obtain practical work experience related to your major?

Go to the Cooperative Education orientation session at 4 p.m. Monday, April 17, in the University Student Commons to register.

In the Cooperative Education Program, commonly referred to as “co-op,” students choose between two work schedules, parallel or alternating. The parallel schedule allows students to work part time while enrolled in classes, while the alternating schedule allows students to rotate semesters of working full time and attending school full time.

Susan Story, director of the Career Center, spent 18 years helping students and employers involved in the co-op program.

“Not every student, but for many of our students it’s a great way for them to network and obtain a job after they graduate,” she said.

Greg Moody, a chemical engineer, alumnus participated in co-op for two-and-a half years.

As a co-op employee, he worked at Honeywell and later at Philip Morris USA, where he served as a front-line leader in supervising the hourly employees. Later, as a project engineer, he redesigned the process flow. Since graduation he has worked full time for four years at Philip Morris. In his position as a senior business analyst, he provides analysis for the leadership team in determining the best strategic decisions.

“The most important thing is that you get a run on the competition,” Moody said. “When employers are looking to hire entry-level students, the ones that rise to the top are students with experience, and not to mention you get paid well while in school.”

Story said in co-op there is a progression.

“You’re not trained and then you walk out the door,” she said. “You’re trained and then you stay there, so you become a valuable person for that company and you’re networking at the same time.”

Robert Bell, a junior accounting major, attended a co-op orientation earlier this semester.

“I’m really tired of working in restaurants,” Bell said. “I’m ready to move on and start working in the business world and use some of the information that I’ve learned here at VCU to help me start making the money that I feel I deserve-and definitely need for my bills.”

Story said some of VCU’s engineers can earn $25 an hour, while accounting majors typically earn $15 to $18 an hour. She pointed out that the average salary is around $10 an hour but depends on the skills required for the job.

Since the School of Engineering was established, Story said most co-op students are from that school and the School of Business. Still, she would like students from other disciplines to participate in the program.

“Somehow they don’t see the connection yet between school and a career,” Story said. “That is a challenge for us to try to build a connection with humanities and sciences and the School of the Arts. That’s what our counselors are trying to do is build a connection with the administrators and faculty over there and the students. Some of them don’t even know we’re here.”

If Story could give the Cooperative Education Program a title, she would call it “The Best-Kept Secret” because students don’t know about it.

“It’s a wonderful thing because we help people connect with careers, and our services are paid for in fees that students have already paid, so I think it’s one of the best-kept secrets at VCU,” she said. “We like to get the secret out. We keep telling about the secret-and somehow it still stays a secret.”