Cooperative Education is a key element of Victor Valley College’s comprehensive approach to career development. Cooperative Education is a 16-, 12-, or 8-week course that enables the student to receive college credit for paid or unpaid work opportunities. This course helps students gain valuable on-the-job work experience while providing practical education, best practices in professional development, and academic guidance through the course of their work opportunity. The combination of practical experience and curricular development empowers students to be more competitive, efficient and valuable employees upon completion of this program and/or their academic program trajectory. The course is ideal for students who are cross-training at their current work-site for upward mobility, seeking career changes, or looking for entry-level occupational training through work-based learning experience such as through an internship. Cooperative Education transforms community business, industries, and public agencies into expanded educational training laboratories.
Faculty
Cooperative Education Work Experience is offered in the following areas:
Agriculture and Natural Resources, Allied Health, American Sign Language, Art, Automotive, Biology, Business Administration, Business Education Technologies, Business Escrow, Business Real Estate, Chemistry, Child Development, Computer Information Science, Communications, Construction & Manufacturing Technology, Criminal Justice, Education, Electronics and Computer Technology, Engineering/Drafting, English, Fire Technology, General Work Experience, Geography, Journalism, Kinesiology, Mathematics, Music, Nursing, Paralegal Studies, Philosophy, Photography, Physical Science, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration, Religious Studies, Respiratory Therapy, Restaurant Management, Sociology, Theater Arts, Welding.
For further information and individual guidance, contact the Cooperative Education Office or call (760) 245-4271, ext. 2281 and/or ext. 2288.
Credit is awarded on the basis of number of learning objective completed and the number of hours the student trains. Students must create/complete new learning objectives each semester they enroll. Students may utilize their present work-sites.
- Practical experience
- An opportunity to apply classroom learning on the job
- College credit
- Career guidance in a realistic setting
- A chance to learn what you do well and what you enjoy doing
- A reason for staying in college
- Up-to-date laboratory experience
- Orientation to changing job conditions
- New ways of getting ahead
- Opportunity to experience socialization in the work place
- Transferable college elective units
Students will need a minimum of 75 hours of paid work for each unit of credit or 60 hours of unpaid work for each unit of credit.
Paid
| 75 hrs per unit | Total semester hours |
|---|---|
| 05 hrs/wk 1.0 unit | 75 |
| 10 hrs/wk 2.0 units | 150 |
| 15 hrs/wk 3.0 units | 225 |
| 20 hrs/wk 4.0 units | 300 |
| 25 hrs/wk 5.0 units | 375 |
| 30 hrs/wk 6.0 units | 450 |
| 35 hrs/wk 7.0 units | 525 |
| 40 hrs/wk 8.0 units | 600 |
Unpaid
| 60 hrs per unit | Total semester hours |
|---|---|
| 04 hrs/wk 1.0 unit | 60 |
| 08 hrs/wk 2.0 units | 120 |
| 12 hrs/wk 3.0 units | 180 |
| 16 hrs/wk 4.0 units | 240 |
| 20 hrs/wk 5.0 units | 300 |
| 24 hrs/wk 6.0 units | 360 |
| 27 hrs/wk 7.0 units | 420 |
| 32 hrs/wk 8.0 units | 480 |
Students may earn between 1 and 8 units of Cooperative Education credit per semester, depending on the number of hours completed. Students may enroll again in Occupational Work Experience classes but may not exceed 16 units total. A maximum of 16 units of Cooperative Education credit may be used towards the AA/AS degree as elective credits only. Units cannot be applied towards major or general education degree requirements. These units also transfer to the CSU and some UC’s as elective credits only. General Work Experience does not transfer. Students may repeat a failed Cooperative Education class and both grades will be listed on the student's transcript.
Students must utilize their present work site, or internship site if selected. We do not place students at work sites. Students do not need a declared major and do not need to be working in a major to enroll in Cooperative Work Experience Education.
To be eligible for Cooperative Education, students must:
- Be enrolled as a Victor Valley Community College student.
- Spend at least five (5) hours a week at a work site.
- Pursue a planned program of Cooperative Education that includes new or expanded responsibilities or learning opportunities beyond those of previous employment and training.
- To have Cooperative Education staff confirm your eligibility, complete our Cooperative Work Experience Education Eligibility Questionnaire. You will be contacted once the questionnaire is submitted (the questionnaire is an online webform).