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About The Co-op Japan Program

Overview

Since 1991, the aim of the Co-op Japan Program has been to encourage long term opportunities for scientific and industrial exchange between Canada and Japan. In an effort to achieve this goal, the program has worked tirelessly to establish close, professional relationships with Japanese business, industry, and government ministries in order to create links with our Canadian counterparts.

The Co-op Japan Program is a Canadian university and college based, international internship program linking some of the best students, researchers, and career professionals Canada has to offer, with highly committed business and industry participants in Japan.

History

In an effort to encourage long term opportunities for scientific and industrial exchange between Canada and Japan the Co-op Japan Program was established in May 1991, with support from the Government of Canada's Pacific 2000 Japan Science & Technology Fund. A consortium of four core Canadian Universities was formed to implement the program and launch it on a three year pilot phase. The mandate: to develop a pool of young Canadian engineers and scientists with hands-on experience in the Japanese work place.

With the challenge of introducing the concept of co-operative education to Japanese companies, the Canada-Japan Co-op Program set about developing work placement opportunities for Canadian students in Japan. By the end of the program pilot phase, 175 placements had been completed with students and companies both reporting their expectations had been exceeded. While some of Canada's brightest university students developed an understanding and appreciation of Japanese industry and culture, Japanese companies were given the opportunity to take advantage of highly skilled and motivated students.

Returning students claimed that with the added value of international work experience in Japan appearing on their resumes, they achieved access to more Canadian career opportunities; and Japanese company representatives, while initially cautious about accepting undergraduate interns, expressed tremendous satisfaction with the level of performance, maturity, and responsibility exhibited by Canada-Japan Co-op students. An added bonus of the international placement experience for both students and companies was the strength of the personal relationships and professional contacts that had been established. Not unexpectedly, some of these relationships have parlayed into research exchange opportunities between representative universities and placement companies.

In 1994, with the success of the Canada-Japan Co-op Program pilot phase cemented, the Canadian Government issued a mandate for expansion. Every university and college in Canada was invited to participate, making the Canada-Japan Co-op Program a truly national placement program. At one stage the Canada-Japan Co-op Program represented 22 Canadian universities. An average of 40 students participate each year, spending up to 12 months working primarily in research and development oriented environments of participating companies in Japan.

Building on Success

The success the Canada-Japan Co-op Program has achieved over the years has enabled the Program the opportunity and ability to expand our services to Japanese industry. In addition to coordinating technical placements for undergraduate students in Japan, we are now filling requests by participating companies for non-technical internships. The program originally intended for engineering and science students has opened up to provide opportunities for business and arts undergraduates.

There have been several requests from interested colleges across Canada who are interested in participating in the program. As a result, in 2006, we will be marketing the program across the country to allow for a greater number of educational institutions both at the university and college level to participate.

Historically the program has operated on one matching period per year, with the majority of the placements being made as a direct result of our close ties with the Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO.) To allow more flexibility for employers and also to fit in with more educational institution co-op program timetables, the program has moved to a continuous application process. A continuous application process for undergraduate students will permit students to apply to The Canada-Japan Co-op Program and positions year round. The flexibility will also provide employers with motivated, skilled undergraduate students who are able to commence working in January, May or September for a four, eight or twelve-month duration.

The success of the Canada-Japan Co-op Program is due to the exceptional quality of our participating university and college students, the loyalty of our participating companies in Japan, assistance from the Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO), the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo and the active support of our participating educational institutions.

Placement Statistics

The program has grown since 1991 with the first group of 11 students departing in 1992. Steady growth was encountered from 1992-1999 and followed by the economic downturn in 1999 and 2000 which paralleled the reduction of student interns going to Japan. Over the last five year period, intern numbers have fluctuated, however with a revised program mandate, interest from Japanese industry, support from the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo and Canadian Government we anticipate renewed program interest.