Lassonde Co-op/Internship

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Lassonde students walking on the stairs outside of Bergeron Centre

Frequently Asked Questions

Current Co-op Students

Keeping active full-time student status

While on a work term you maintain your active student status. If you require a verification letter of status, please contact the Lassonde Co-op/Internship team to request a letter.
Visit here for more details on OSAP and Co-op.

Students who were accepted into Co-op/Internship program in the past

No. Students who maintain their academic eligibility will be granted access upon logging in to their account and accepting the terms and conditions for each eligible work term. Students who do not maintain their academic eligibility are exited out of the program. 
Most students, when accepted into the program are granted at least 2 terms (academic semester) to search for a position. On the third term, their eligibility is expired and access to the job board is disabled. Check your co-op record sequence to see if it says “eligible work term” or “eligibility expired”.  If students meet academic eligibility, then their access will be updated for that term’s postings. Please self-assess (Application Checklists) to make sure you meet the eligibility to continue in the program for the desired work term. Be sure to connect with the Co-op team well in advance if you are planning to ask for an additional work term search.
For students with extenuating circumstances, you may be able to file a Co-op/Internship Requirements Waived or Altered Petition. For more details, review the Lassonde Petitions website. https://lassonde.yorku.ca/petitions **
**A petition is a written request by a student which outlines exceptional circumstances they have faced which warrant consideration to be exempt from or have waived a Lassonde School of Engineering rule or regulation.  Submitting a petition is not always the best solution to an academic problem
Speak with a Lassonde Co-op/Internship Coordinator by joining our drop-in hours  before submitting a petition of this sort, as some co-op/internship requirements are not petitionable.

Students who have secured a Co-op/Internship

Review the following scenarios and action steps for when you secure a co-op job offer:
Did you apply for the position through the Co-op Portal?
1.     Log in to the Co-op Portal and fill out the work term record for the appropriate term (Fall/Winter/Summer) on your profile in the Co-op Portal
2.     For instructions, review the Creating a Work Term Record for Co-op Program document
Did you apply for the position outside of the Co-op Portal or are not sure if the job offer you have qualifies as a co-op term?
1.     Log in to the Co-op Portal and fill out the work term record for the appropriate term (Fall/Winter/Summer) on your profile in the Co-op Portal
2.     For instructions, review the Creating a Work Term Record for Co-op Program document
3.     If not included in your job offer, please send a copy of the job description to lsecoop@lassonde.yorku.ca
Have you received a verbal offer from a Co-op Coordinator and you’ve been asked to accept and finalize your co-op job offer?
1.     Log in to the Co-op Portal and review the details of your offer by viewing your work term record
2.     For instructions, review the Accepting and Finalizing Co-op Job Offer document.
Unable to create a Work Term Record? This could be due to a variety of reasons such as your profile may not be configured to have an eligible work term.
1.  Please fill out the Register Your Co-op/Internship Job Offer Form and send to lsecoop@lassonde.yorku.ca.
You will be automatically enrolled in the mandatory work term course(s) the first month you secure your work term. 
Each student is responsible for dropping their own courses before the drop deadline. Please make note of the refund schedule. 
All co-op/internship job offers need to be vetted and approved through the program.
Please send an email to lsecoop@lassonde.yorku.ca along with: 
⠀⠀⠀● A copy of your signed formal job offer 
⠀⠀⠀● Contact information of the company who you will be working for such as supervisor, hiring manager or recruiter. Please note that there are deadlines every term for you to register your co-op to allow for you to be enrolled in the Co-op course(s) in a timely manner.

On a Work Term

You can confirm submission of your documents through your Lassonde Co-op/Internship profile:
⠀⠀⠀1. Login to your account
⠀⠀⠀2. Under the “Co-op” tab, find your current work term (e.g. “Winter 2019“)
⠀⠀⠀3. Click the company name and scroll down to the square section on the left that shows co-op requirements.
⠀⠀⠀4. Each label (e.g. “Work Term details“) is accompanied by a status statement such as pending, approved, no record
Following any of these links will show the corresponding document you have submitted.
The Lassonde Co-op program allows students to take a maximum of one course per term, up to 3 credits per semester by permission only i.e. 1 course, at 3 credits maximum for Fall or Winter or Summer.  The course should not interfere with regular business hours of Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm; whether you are working in a hybrid or remote capacity. The course must be fully online, during weekends or after your work hours. If you would like to request permission to take one course, please submit the following details to lsecoop@lassonde.yorku.ca
⠀⠀⠀1. Your full name
⠀⠀⠀2. Student number
⠀⠀⠀3. Complete course name e.g. “LE/COOP 2100 2.00 Professional Development for Co-op Students”
⠀⠀⠀4. Catalogue Number e.g. “E05g01”
⠀⠀⠀5. Course type: on-line, weekends, evenings
⠀⠀⠀6. Class date and start time
Important: Project courses such as ENG 4000, CIVL 4000, EECS 4088 or equivalent are not permitted while on a work term.
Our team would be happy to provide you with custom letters for the above purposes. Please note it will take up to 5-7 business days for us to provide these letters. Plan ahead of time and request these letters well ahead of your deadline. To submit a request, fill out the Lassonde Co-op Student Letters Request Form.
Co-op is an exciting experience, but our lives are ruled by so many other factors and unexpected things may come up. You have a few options to consider to move forward:
⠀⠀⠀● You can discuss solutions or alternatives with one of our Coordinators
⠀⠀⠀● You can contact us and let us know that you are no longer interested in participating in the Co-op/Internships program
⠀⠀⠀● You can consider other assistance that the university provides free of charge (including counselling services, career advising, academic assistance & tutoring, financial assistance, note-taking services, etc.)
For students who completed paid co-op or internship positions in Canada, your co-op employer will issue T4 slips.
⠀⠀⠀● T4 slips, which show employment income and payroll deductions
⠀⠀⠀● T4A slips, which show scholarship, fellowship, and bursary income, or payments from a registered education savings plan
Visit CRA for the most up to date information regarding Students and Income tax: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/p105/p105-students-income-tax.html

Searching & Securing a position

Your job must meet ALL criteria for a co-op position as outlined by CEWIL. You should pursue any roles for which you can demonstrate your qualifications based on their requirements. However, you must be engaged in related, productive work in order to work in the role. As a Lassonde student, roles may include programming or development positions, designing or field work positions, research roles, to name a few examples (although there are many, many more opportunities in this field).
YES⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀NO
————————————————
Software⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Data Entry
Developer
————————————————
Risk⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Social Media
Management⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Management
————————————————
Technical⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Administrative jobs
Writer⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀(are acceptable if meet all other criteria)
————————————————
Intern – Linear⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Sales/Retail/
Infrastructure ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Customer Service
————————————————
Grid Systems &⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Market
Optimization⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Research
————————————————
Telecom⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Call Centres
Engineering
If you were expected to find a position for the upcoming work term and were unable to secure one, don’t worry. It happens to the best of us.
You aren’t guaranteed a job for your desired work term. Students may be eligible for a deferral if they are unsuccessful with securing a co-op position provided that you can demonstrate that you:
⠀⠀⠀● Have actively applied to 20% of job postings
⠀⠀⠀● Maintained communication with the co-op office
⠀⠀⠀● Actively pursued independent job searches
If approved, your work-term will be deferred to the next available work term.
For a role to qualify as a co-op/internship it must be compliant with the conditions outlined by CEWIL. We’ve outlined the conditions in our Searching & Securing guide. For more questions email us or come by during drop-ins.
An unofficial transcript is simply a list of all your completed courses and grades from York University. To obtain an unofficial transcript:
⠀⠀⠀1. Go to Registrar’s Office
⠀⠀⠀2. Click on My Courses and Grades
⠀⠀⠀3. Log in using your Passport York username and password
⠀⠀⠀4. At the top right, select Printable Version
⠀⠀⠀5. Right click anywhere on the page and choose Print.
⠀⠀⠀6. Set your destination to Save as PDF.
⠀⠀⠀7. Save this document as “Unofficial Transcript_Your First and Last Name” (e.g. Unofficial Transcript_JohnSmith.pdf)
***IT IS A MANDATORY REQUIREMENT TO APPLY THROUGH THE LASSONDE CO-OP PORTAL AND THE COMPANY WEBSITE.  INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED***
As the statement indicates, this is a mandatory requirement. By following instructions carefully, you demonstrate your ability to follow instructions properly as a co-op/internship student – a skill that is valued by all employers.
This is often required to verify a students’ enrolment in the co-op/internship program and the Co-op Team could at any time be required to provide this verification. Ensure you are not left out of the applicant list by following the instructions carefully.
Follow the instructions as stated on each site and submit only the documents being asked for each platform. In this case, submit your resume and cover letter on the co-op portal and submit a resume and unofficial transcript on the company website.
We have 3 active Workplace Learning Coordinators/Co-op Coordinators. Select the Co-op Coordinator you have interacted with the most.
● Delnaz  Khorshidchehr, Workplace Learning Coordinator, lsecoop@lassonde.yorku.ca
● Jolie Chan, Workplace Learning Coordinator, lsecoop@lassonde.yorku.ca
● Ginger Zhao, Workplace Learning Coordinator, lsecoop@lassonde.yorku.ca
For all Co-op Coordinators, please provide the following email address: lsecoop@lassonde.yorku.ca. Please note that you are only to use these names and information if you are an ACTIVE and fully registered Co-op/Internship student.
Every employer is different. Some employers can opt to review the applications as they come, and others like to wait until a specific deadline has passed to review all applications at the same time. We recommend that you prioritize the roles you are most interested in and apply for co-op/internship positions well before the expiry date listed on the job posting. Don’t leave it until the last minute, as positions can be filled by the employer before the posting is set to expire. Remember, these co-op opportunities may also be posted at other institutions so you are not only competing with other Lassonde students but also with students from other Canadian universities.
Most students, when accepted into the program are granted at least 2 terms (academic semester) to search for a position. On the third term, their eligibility is expired and access to the job board is disabled. Check your co-op record sequence to see if it says “eligible work term” or “eligibility expired”.
If students meet academic eligibility, then their access will be updated for that term’s postings. Please self-assess (Application Checklists) to make sure you meet the eligibility to continue in the program for the desired work term.
York University’s Career Centre offers career exploration and job search support to all York University students. We strongly encourage the following:
⠀⠀⠀● To learn about the variety of supports and services available to students and new graduates (up to 2 years after graduation), visit here
⠀⠀⠀● Want to chat with someone? Drop by their Career Lounge to chat with a Peer Advisor and get advice
⠀⠀⠀● Book a Job Search Advising Appointment with a Career Professional to discuss options of finding work outside of the co-op/internship program
⠀⠀⠀● Are you having difficulty deciding on a career path? Are you unsure how your degree may relate to your future career? Do you feel challenged moving forward with your career exploration? Book a Career Counselling Appointment with a Career Counsellor

Students with Disabilities

The Co-op/Internship team is committed to supporting the employment needs of students with disabilities. If you would like to discuss strategies for success in your co-op experience, contact your Co-op/Internship Coordinator. We would be happy to assist you in discussing your questions or any accommodations you may need.
If you have a learning disability, mental health disability, or physical, sensory or medical disability, we encourage you to register as soon as possible with York University’s Student Accessibility Services (SAS). SAS can help to identify reasonable adjustments in an academic setting and can provide guidance for accommodations in the workplace.

Important note for Co-op & Digital Media Internship students: Should you require accommodations in your co-op/internship workplace for disability-related needs or on other Ontario Human Rights Code grounds, you will need to connect in a timely way with your employer to determine and implement any necessary arrangements. We recommend that you review the Student Guide to Practicum Accommodations and reach out to Lassonde Co-op if you have any questions. You can also find additional information on the Student Accessibility Services website to support you with this conversation.  Lassonde Co-op can assist students with questions related to the Code around accommodations outside of disability related ones and Student Accessibility Services will be happy to provide you with guidance on how to go about accessing disability related accommodations if you would find this support helpful.
We strongly recommend students with disabilities register with Student Accessibility Services (SAS)  in order to access the variety of supports available to you. We want as many Lassonde students to be able to have the opportunity to join the co-op program.

Students who are registered with SAS will have their full-time course load calculated based on York University’s Undergraduates with a permanent disability, which is at least 40% (At least 6 credits in each term).

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Group Drop-ins

For general co-op/internship questions, contact one of our Workplace Learning Coordinators via our virtual GROUP drop-ins. The schedule, dates and times are posted on our Drop-ins page.

Join the meeting room during the time scheduled and indicated in the calendar. Please log-in using your Passport York ID. You will automatically be placed in a waiting room, and you will be admitted once the drop-in hours are open. You must log-in with your Passport York Account (PPY).
Meeting ID: 914 2306 4977
Passcode: 193901
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Individual Drop-ins

Individual Drop-ins will be offered during peak periods, for specific groups. The schedule, dates, times will be posted on our contact us page.

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Email

If you are unable to meet with us during our Group Drop-in hours, send an email to lsecoop@lassonde.yorku.ca. Please note that it takes up to 2-3 business days for our team to respond to your email.

Outside of regular business hours, we encourage you to review this FAQ page,  as you may find the answer to your question.