Co-op Employer Guide

PEY Co-op contacts

Each employer is assigned a lead Co-op Coordinator and is supported by the Employer Relations team. To discuss your recruitment needs or job postings, or for support with the U of T Co-op Portal, please contact your Coordinator or your Operations Hub Representative. If you’re unsure how to reach them, feel free to send an email to uoft.coop@utoronto.ca or the PEY general inbox.

Here's the contact information for the entire Engineering Career Centre team.

Our offices are located in downtown Toronto.

About PEY Co-op

Canada's leading Engineering co-op program

The Professional Experience Year Co-op Program (PEY Co-op) offered through the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering is the largest program of its kind in Canada, and a key part of U of T's commitment to  learning.

PEY Co-op enables undergraduates who have completed their second or third year of study to build meaningful work experience, strengthen their professional networks and enhance their interpersonal and technical competencies. During the work terms, students are full-time employees with a competitive salary.

Students are undergraduates, and come from the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and University of Toronto Mississauga Mathematical and Computational Sciences.

About U of T Co-op

Engineering Career Centre’s PEY Co-op program are founding members of U of T Co-op, a community of co-op programs that gives employers access to thousands of qualified students from more than 100 academic disciplines across three campuses through one talent hub.

Summer Co-op Work Term

Co-op employers will be able to post and promote roles to engineering student applicants to recruit for the summer 2024 work term. Summer students are available for 12 to 16 weeks between May and August 2024.

Over 1,000 talented students in this cohort have completed intensive and structured career programming. In addition to building their professional brand and investigating different industries, they have enhanced their knowledge of workplace dynamics, which ensures a smooth transition to the workplace.

Starting in the Fall term, Year 2 engineering and UTM students will begin applying for summer jobs.

12-to-16-month work term

Recruit for 12 to 16 month work terms starting between May and September.

Starting in September, undergraduate students from the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and University of Toronto Mississauga Mathematical and Computational Sciences can start applying to posted opportunities. The recruitment period is a continuous cycle and runs until  July.

Why hire our students?

Access workplace-ready talent

Build a talent pipeline from Canada’s #1 ranked engineering school. With an underlying commitment to developing the ‘whole engineer’, we ensure our students have the technical skills and training in workplace dynamics to make a lasting impact at your organization.

You also have a large pool of talent to choose from, since over 1500 U of T students from Engineering and other technical disciplines register in the PEY Co-op program every year.

Hire from a diverse talent pool

At the U of T, diversity is one of our priorities. This means that you have access to a great variety of backgrounds and points of view, which provide more inclusive and insightful and thinking.

For the past several years, U of T Engineering's first year class has been near or above 40% women, the highest proportion in Canada.
Over the past five years, on average 32% of the incoming Engineering class have had an international background.

Return on investment

Thanks to rigorous technical training and unparalleled extracurricular and professional experience opportunities, the University of Toronto is the number one university in Canada for producing work-ready graduates. We're proud to prepare the next generation of engineering leaders and change makers to unlock the future's boundless potential. Supervisors also benefit from a fresh perspective and experience providing mentorship and guidance.

Tailored recruitment

The U of T Career Portal makes it easy for you to post positions, schedule interviews, and manage your PEY Co-op hiring process based on what work best for you within the program operation dates. A dedicated team of Co-op Coordinators will help you throughout – from registration and hiring to hosting on-campus information sessions and beyond. There are no fees to post jobs, interview on-campus or hire.

Build your employer brand 

Co-operative Education Tax Credit and funding resources 

Remain competitive

Join hundreds of satisfied employers

Our PEY students play a crucial role and are an integral part of our community at AMD. As an alumnus and current Hardware Validation hiring manager for the PEY program, I can attest to the fresh perspectives and diverse ideas the students bring to the organization. We are always looking for students who are eager to develop their technical skills and help solve real world problems in the semiconductor industry. The PEY program gives students not only an opportunity to build their skills, but it also opens the door to future employment within the company. It’s a win-win for everyone.

- Michael Politano (AMD)

What I appreciated most about the PEY students we hired were that the are very professional, hardworking, and motivated, and they adapted to the work environment in no time. Their fresh ideas and enthusiasm were a great positive impact in our workplace. It has been amazing to work with our current PEY students, Claire and Clara. They have maintained top quality work despite having to deal with the challenges that have come with the Covid-19 pandemic. We are looking to continue to build on our relationship with the PEY program to ensure a strong connection and hiring pipeline in the future.

- Siddharth Das (Kinectrics Inc.)

As a result of Walmart Canada partnering with University of Toronto's PEY program, dozens of students over the years gained unique experience by working alongside seasoned industry professionals, solving problems, implementing change and growing into young professionals ready for the real word challenges. These students are not just interns - they play an integral part in the successes of the teams they work within. At the end of their term it's rewarding to see the progress they have made, the impact they have had and the learning they are taking away with them.

- Alexei Taianovski (Walmart Canada)

Recruitment process and timeline

2024-2025 Employer Key Dates: Professional Experience Year (PEY) Co-op Program

We encourage you to post your jobs and hire early in the cycle: this is when the pool of available students is at its largest.

Position yourself for the future by enrolling as a new employer on our innovative U of T Co-op Portal.

Key Dates	12-to-16 Month PEY Co-op Recruitment Stages (2025–2026)
August 26, 2024 – June 30, 2025	Job board opens- continuous job posting
September 16, 2024	Job postings go live Students submit application
October 7, 2024 – July 11, 2025	Continuous interview phase
October 2024 – July 2025	Continuous job offer and acceptance period
December 6, 2024	Suggested last day to interview before Winter Break
December 20, 2024	Last day to confirm offers through co-op office before Winter Break
December 24, 2024 –January 3, 2025	Co-op recruitment on hold for Winter Break
January 6, 2025	Job posting, interviews and offers are on-going

Key Dates	Summer Co-op Recruitment Stages (2025)
September 16, 2024 – April 30, 2025	Job board opens — continuous job posting
October 28, 2024	Job postings go live, and students can start applying
November 2024 – April 2025	Continuous interview and job offer for summer participants
May 5 – June 9, 2025	Suggested period to start summer jobs

2024:

August 26: Portal opens to employers
September 16: Portal opens to students
October 07: Interviews, job offers and acceptances begin
December 06: Suggested deadline to interview before winter break
December 20: Suggested deadline to confirm offers through ECC before winter break
December 24- January 03: Exams and winter break

2025:

April: Job postings and offers close for summer work terms
June: Job postings close for 12-16-month work terms
July: Interviews close for 12-16-month work terms
August: Job offers close for 12-16-month work terms

Work term dates:

May through August 2025: Summer work terms
May to September 2025 through May to August 2026: 12-16-month work terms

Connect with us now by contacting your dedicated Co-op Coordinator or email us.

1. Register on the U of T Co-op Portal

The U of T Co-op Portal is the hub where our students, recent graduates and alumni check for job opportunities. The Portal is easy to manage and the majority of our employers take advantage of its efficiency to speed up their hiring process. This online system will allow you to post jobs, view and receive applications and schedule interviews.

Visit the U of T Co-op Portal to create an account. You will be matched with a Co-op Coordinator and an Operations Hub Representative who will guide you through recruitment and support during the work term.
Read and agree to the requirements stated in the Employer Co-op Participation Agreement.

2. Promote your brand and connect with students

3. Post Jobs

4. Interview

Telephone, virtual, or in-person* interviews
You may schedule interviews directly with students or request scheduling support through the U of T Co-op Portal at least 4 business days in advance, and we will manage scheduling for you.
Please keep your coordinator updated on your interviews so we can notify you if the hiring status of a student changes.

ECC office is now hosting in-person interviews at the Experiential Learning Commons (ELC).

5. Offer/hire

Offers can be presented to students directly or with our support. Notify the Co-op Coordinator as soon as you make an offer
Allow at least 48 hours (two business days) for students to decide on the offer
Starting October through April for summer work terms and August for 12-16 month work terms.

Additional information:

6. Work Term begins

7. Work term ends

8. Key dates in the academic calendar

How to ensure a successful work term

What makes a successful work-integrated learning (WIL) experience?

Student supervisor

A co-op student spends most of their time with their supervisor from the time they train until their last day on the job.

Assign a designated and an appropriate work space, including any IT or work equipment necessary for the duration of the student’s work term.
Discuss your supervisory style, your preferred mode of communication and frequency of individual and team meetings.
Establish a regular schedule of check-ins with your student in order to monitor progress, regulate workload, and troubleshoot any concerns.
Ensure that student is developing relationships with team members, is participating in meetings, and is engaging in activities with your team.

Onboarding

At the start of the work term introduce the student to their co-op supervisor, team members, and other staff that they will be closely working with.
At the start of the work term, plan with the student in developing learning objectives and set appropriate expectations for the position. The learning objectives can be personal (i.e. interpersonal skills) and/or professional (i.e. learning a new technical skill).
Onboarding of students includes:
- an overview of the organization
- policies employees must follow
- health and safety protocols
- IT and security
- expectations for equity, diversity, inclusion and professionalism.

Work responsibilities

Ensure the student receives high quality learning opportunities with adequate supervision, regular guidance, and constructive feedback continuously throughout the work term.
Provide guidance on must-have skills that will enhance the student’s experience and speed up their professional growth while at the company and beyond
Encourage the student to document their learning to help them prepare for their Final Report and for easy referencing if your organization requires an end-of-the-term presentation.
Consider pairing your student with a mentor to support them during their time with the organization.
As the work term progresses, provide more challenging tasks, responsibilities, and learning opportunities so they can make a substantial workplace contribution.
Accommodate the ECC team during student-employers site visits to evaluate the student’s work term performance and learning outcomes.
Complete and review any and all evaluations and/or reports provided by the PEY Co-op Program regarding the hired student’s performance on the job, as required by the ECC.
If possible, provide an exit interview with the student to review their job performance, feedback on their work term, and possible future employment.
Recognize that the student is required to complete their program of study by returning to full-time academics and should not receive an offer for full-time employment that will start immediately after the end date of their official PEY Co-op contract.

Immediately contact the assigned PEY Co-op Coordinator if:

There are any issues or circumstances that would lead to rescinding the co-op contract prior to the start date
If a student's contract dates have changed
The company is experiencing any problems/issues with the hired student and/or if the student has been given any official warning (written or verbal) regarding unsatisfactory work performance or undesirable attitude during their work term, or
The company is going through organizational restructuring that could impact the student’s work term duration or possible termination.

Evaluations and site visits

Evaluations

Following the guidelines set by Cooperative Education Work Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada, the PEY Co-op experience includes the completion of self-reflection and performance evaluation forms by students and employers at different stages of the work term.   Performance evaluations are designed to help student supervisors provide feedback on the student’s work performance and development and map out areas that they are excelling in as well as areas that require further development.

These online documents are easy to complete and only require a few minutes of your time. The completion of the evaluation is mandatory for students in order to successfully complete their PEY Co-op work term.

Site visits

Midway through the student's work term, the Engineering Career Center will connect with both employers and students to schedule a site visit to meet and discuss how the work term is progressing. Site visits provide the Co-op office the chance to understand the type of work the students are doing, learn more about the company culture and onboarding experience, as well as assist with any issues that may have arisen thus far.

Performance evaluation timeline

Timeline	Student Requirements	Supervisor Requirements
Within the first three months of the work term	Early PEY Co-op student self-reflection form
Four to five months into the work term		Midterm PEY Co-op Student Performance Evaluation and meeting with student to review the evaluation
Within the last two months of the work term (keep to the due dates indicated)	Final PEY Co-op student self-reflection form	Final PEY Co-op Student Performance Evaluation
August	Final PEY Co-op Report

Tell us your success stories

Did a student exceed your expectations? Did a student's contribution have unexpected positive benefits for you or your company?

If you have success stories about your PEY Co-op student(s) – we'd love to hear them!

If we'd like to publish your story to further promote the program, we'll always get your permission first. Not only can this additional visibility help position your company as an employer of choice, but it also might inspire a student to look at another career direction: yours!

Please contact the Co-op Coordinator working with your organization.

Safety

The University of Toronto monitors and follows the advice of public health authorities regarding restrictions of working in person at the company location. Co-op employers are encouraged to observe and implement the safety policies and protocols of cities and provinces where our co-op students are assigned to complete their work terms.

The Engineering Career Centre staff were able to successfully facilitate over one thousand co-op work terms in the past year by delivering our services online and virtually to both students and employers.

For the 2022-2023 recruitment cycle, while there are plans for the University to return to the workplace in person, we also recognize that on-campus face-to-face interviews may not happen due to safety protocol requirements. As such, we encourage our employers and students to be prepared for virtual interviews. We will continue to monitor and guide you with any recruitment updates as we receive them.

International work terms

If you are an international employer hiring co-op students, we encourage you to discuss the following with potential students:

Start and end dates of the work period
Compensation details
Relocation expenses, such as travel and housing assistance
Onboarding resources, local transit information
Visa processing options, sponsorship, and payment of administrative fees

Co-op Employer Guide

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Related pages

PEY Co-op contacts

About PEY Co-op