Canada is a world leader in Post-Secondary Co-operative Education
- Co-operative Education is a model where students alternate classroom learning with hands-on, paid work experience in industry linked to their studies and career goals
- Students do multiple co-op terms prior to graduation (most between 3-5) and graduate with at least 12 months of paid, relevant work experience
- Canada is a world-leader in Co-operative Education with most universities and colleges offering this model, sometimes as a requirement for graduation
- Canada has the only national accreditation system for Co-operative Education programs in the world, meaning accredited programs meet the highest standards of quality Co-operative Education practices
What is the Canada-Japan Co-op Program?
For over 30 years, the Canada-Japan Co-op Program has provided dozens of Japanese employers with access to some of Canada’s top university and college students from a range of disciplines—including Arts, Business, Computer Science, Engineering, and Science—who bring the latest knowledge and expertise to workplaces across Japan.
Originally launched with the help of a grant from the Canadian government to bring Canadian university technical experience to Japanese companies, the Program has expanded to include students from most academic disciplines who can enrich Japanese companies with unique expertise and new perspectives.
Why Hire a Canada-Japan Co-op Program Student?
CJCP students bring experience and motivation to Japanese workplace:
- CJCP students must complete a work term in Canada prior to applying to work in Japan so they bring experience and professional maturity to your organization.
- Students are screened for the Program based on their academic excellence, interpersonal skills, and career motivation to ensure they are ready to excel on co-op terms in Japan.
- Students complete language and culture pre-departure training in Canada to help them make a smooth transition to living and working in Japan.
- CJCP students provide a cost-effective way to staff peak periods or complete special projects.
- Hiring students allows companies to train and test potential Canadian employees to fill company needs – a cost saving human resource advantage.
- Hiring Canadian co-op students allows other employees to learn about Canadian culture and gain international perspectives.
What do Participating Employers see as benefits of hiring Canadian Co-op Students?
- Engage in international cooperation and 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 language, culture, and business capabilities and to develop a network of contacts with Canadian educational institutions.
For more comments from our participating Japanese employers, please view their testimonials on the employer testimonials page.
Hiring a Student is Easy
- Students are available for 4, 8, or 12 months beginning each May, September, and January.
- Canada-Japan Co-op Program staff, based in Vancouver, offer employers full service in English and Japanese to assist with: posting jobs to students, scheduling interviews, making offers to students, visa document preparation, student performance monitoring, site visits and student evaluation and feedback.