Graduate with your degree and 12 months of paid work experience in as little as four years
Put your skills and knowledge to work in Trent’s new competitive co-op streams. You’ll graduate with a distinct career advantage – building valuable connections and gaining hands-on experience through paid work terms, all as part of your Trent degree.
Top 5 Reasons to Choose Co-op
- Choose from 20+ competitive co-op streams
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With over 20 options across the sciences, social sciences and humanities to choose from, Trent’s competitive co-op streams offer a wide range of choices to put your skills to work...literally.
Business Administration, Financial Science, English Literature, History, Political Studies, Ancient Greek & Roman Studies, Computer Science, Indigenous Studies, and many more - the choice is yours!
Explore all 20+ co-op streams and discover the perfect fit for you. - Gain a competitive edge for your future career
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Nearly 12 months of paid work experience, all before you graduate. Just imagine the advantage you will have when you start your career after Trent.
Your co-op work terms will give you hands-on practice in your chosen field, developing marketable skills, better understanding the job market, and experience working directly with people and organizations that could become personal references for your next job, industry mentors, or even future employers. - Earn money while gaining experience
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It’s a fact that students in co-op can graduate with less debt than their peers.
That’s because you’ll get more than just course credit during your co-op work terms: you’ll get paid. On top of the experience and connections, you’ll earn money to help pay for your tuition and living expenses, start saving for your future, and hopefully even have a little left over for some fun!
Learn more about finding the right co-op placement for you
- Local, National and International Connections
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Heard the old expression it’s not what you know, it’s who you know? Co-op gives you the what and the who at the same time.
At Trent, you can advantage the University’s many connections with local, regional, and international employers to start building your personal contact network with leaders and experts in your field.
Trent's proximity to the Greater Toronto Area also means you’ll have access to nearly limitless placement opportunities with employers from Mississauga to Markham and more. Have your sights set abroad? At Trent, you can work with global employers too. - Complete your degree and work terms in just four years
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We know you’ll love your time at Trent, but we also know you’ll be eager to graduate and start your career. That’s why many of our co-op streams are designed so you can complete your degree and work terms in the same time as you would doing a degree alone.
For most co-ops, you’ll graduate in four years — so you’ll get all the benefits (and then some!) without having to extend the amount of time or money required.
Building your own Experience
At Trent, you have the unique opportunity to curate a co-op experience that best suits your personal career goals, growth areas, and interests.
Choose to find your own work term or you can apply for a co-op position from Careerspace's database of opportunities or choose to find your own work term. If you choose your own work term, you will need to ensure the position meets Trent’s standard work term requirements (work term length, hours, compensation and evaluation)
Whatever work term you choose, please ensure you apply for the position by the deadline specified in the job posting.
Resources to support your co-op work term
- Student Job Board
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The Student Experience Portal offers a variety of tools to help students in achieving their academic and personal goals. Trent University is committed to providing students with opportunities on campus and within the community to grow, learn, and develop their skill sets.
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LinkedIn is a valuable tool for finding a job, expanding your professional network, and showcasing your skills and experience. A well-written profile can connect you with industry peers and potential employers and allow companies to find you.Explore LinkedIn
- Indeed
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Indeed aggregates job listings from thousands of recruitment websites and company web pages. You can also search for specific positions based on your needs, such as location, job title, salary range, etc.
Explore Indeed
- Government of Canada Summer Jobs
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This program is an excellent opportunity for youth, ages 15-30, who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or people whom refugee protection has been conferred. This program provides full-time work experiences from May to August in Canada for a minimum of 6 weeks. Students looking for a spring/summer co-op can apply directly from the Government of Canada’s Job Bank website.
- Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP)
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Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP): You’re eligible to apply for Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) if you meet the following criteria:
- You’re a full-time student.
- You’re a returning full-time student.
- You meet the minimum age requirement in the province/territory of work.
- If you’re an international student, you could also apply for this program.
Visit the Government of Canada’s website. to apply for FSWEP jobs. After you submit your application, your resume is placed in the Government of Canada’s student inventory. When there are job openings, hiring managers will search through this inventory. If your application matches the manager’s search criteria, you may be contacted for a test and/or interview.
Imagine where you will work! Here are just a few of the co-op employers who have worked with Trent students
