Work placement is an opportunity to get on the job training and experience, hone skills, and build a professional network before you start your professional career. There are many options and benefits of work placement for students in Ontario East, and there are some misconceptions about these programs as well. If you want to learn more about work placements for students and why you should do one, you’re in the right place. 

Work Placement for Students: Are They Right For Me?

Yes! We think so, at least. Not to get repetitive but, the right work placement program will provide on the job experience and help you build a professional network, as well as: 

• make you more employable
• give you a better chance of receiving a job offer upon graduation
• help you decide if the field you’ve chosen is right for you

A work placement can help you cement your decision to go into a chosen field or it can help you realize that you want to pursue a different career. Far better to gain that knowledge and wisdom before graduation than after. 

What Kind of Work Placement Should I Do?

That depends. Browse below to find the work placement for students that fits your needs best. There are two types of programs that are considered traditional work placements: 

1. Co-op: a co-op program is a partnership between a secondary or post-secondary institution and a local business that combines in-class learning with practical, paid work experience (although usually these programs are unpaid for secondary school students).
2. Internship: a one-term work assignment that is usually offered in the summer though not always, can be paid or unpaid, and part-time or full-time.

But there are other kinds of programs, especially in Ontario East, that are similar in structure to traditional work placement programs. For instance: 

• Apprenticeship: learn a skilled trade on the job, supplemented by classroom training, usually on a college campus or through a union training centre. For most skilled trades, apprentices work for one year then move to in-class learning for eight to twelve weeks, full or part-time. It usually takes 2-5 years to complete an apprenticeship. 

From 2017 to 2021, 1 in 5 or 20% of new jobs were trades-related; and, therefore, likely required an apprenticeship.

 

• Elevate Plus: a program unique to the Ontario East region, Elevate Plus is a government funded program that prepares unemployed and underemployed for the manufacturing or food processing job market with job specific as well as soft skills training. At the end of the learning portion of the program, students are paired with an engaged employer in their new field and provided with ongoing support from the program for at least a year after graduation to ensure job success. 

The Elevate Plus program has been incredibly successful for the Ontario East community, with hundreds of graduates and almost 100% of students graduating. There are no tuition fees or cost to participants and to be eligible you must: 

• be unemployed or working less than 20 hours a week
• be 15 years of age or older
• not be participating in any other full-time training or education program
• have a recorded history of long-term unemployment, underemployment, or precarious employment, including interruptions in work history
• require essential skills training or upgrading
• be interested in pursuing a career in manufacturing or food processing

Visit Ontario East Work Placement to Find Your Program

Scroll down to the tiles to find one of the many institutions offering work placement for students.