© Florence Ho
Benefits to participating in The Canada-Japan Co-op Program for students and employers
The Canada-Japan Co-op Program provides the opportunity for the successful integration of work in Japan. It is an educational program that links three major groups: Canadian students, Japanese employers and educational institutions across Canada.
Canada-Japan Co-op students are members of their home educational institution's undergraduate Co-operative Education Programs. Throughout their degrees they alternate paid work terms with study at university. The diversity of Canada-Japan Co-op work term positions and the training and experience received prepare Co-op students for the workplace demands they will encounter during their degree and after graduation. Canada-Japan Co-op students are registered in academic co-op courses throughout their duration in Japan. Each co-op course spans a four-month academic semester (January – April, May – August and September – December) and each Canada-Japan Co-op student receives a grade on their academic transcript for every four month co-op work term/internship period in Japan.
Canada-Japan Co-op students gain a broad range of technical skills during their work terms which, when paired with their academic knowledge, analytical and research skills, are valuable in any workplace. The Canada-Japan Co-op Program provides many advantages to students and employers.
For students it provides an opportunity to:
- Gain a degree and at the same time participate in a relevant, valuable and paid international work experience in Japan
- Assess a potential Japanese employer for a full time work experience after graduation
- Broaden their international outlook and perspective on career and education goals
- Enhance their value to Canadian and Japanese industry
- Travel and learn another language and culture
- Participate in the one week mandatory 'Canada-Japan Co-op Program Training Week', during which valuable career training, cultural and Japanese business etiquette skills are taught that assist students during their Canada-Japan Co-op work experience and future employment.
For Canada-Japan Co-op employers the advantages of hiring a Canada-Japan Co-op student include:
- Accessing high achieving, mature, technically skilled university and college students across Canada who have been pre-selected into the Canada-Japan Co-op based on their academic excellence, personal strengths and willingness and desire to work for a Japanese employer
- Availability of Canada-Japan Co-op students for four, eight or twelve- month co-op work terms/internships commencing in January, May or September
- Providing cost effective way to staff peak periods or complete special projects
- The opportunity to train and test potential Canadian employees to fill company needs - a cost saving human resource advantage
- Full support from the Canada-Japan Co-op Program staff in English and Japanese in all areas of the program including: job posting, interview coordination, matching, visa document preparation, student performance monitoring, site visits and student evaluation and feedback
Our past Canada-Japan Program Japanese employers have advised that by participating in the program a multitude of benefits as outlined above have been provided in addition to the opportunity to.
- Engage in international cooperation and to provide an environment for cross cultural and intellectual exchange amongst Japanese employees and Canadian students
- Obtain skills from excellent young researchers and achieve productive and useful research results in a cost effective manner
- Learn more about Canada, its science, technology and business capabilities and to develop a network of contacts with Canadian educational institutions
