219R90004I
20M
iction August 1990
And Resources Management (PM-224)
Gain The Competitive
Edge-
Hire A Co-op
A Guide For
Managers
And Supervisors
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CONTENTS
Introduction 1
What Is Co-op? 2
Benefits Of Co-op 3
Hiring Co-op Students 4
Co-op Coordinator Responsibilities
Your Responsibility in the Hiring Process
Setting Work Schedules
Getting The Most Out Of Your Co-op 6
Orientating Students Assigning Meaningful Work
Providing Assistance 7
Payment of Travel/Transportation Expenses
Tuition Assistance
Successful Performance On The Job 8
Evaluating Performance
Promoting and Recognizing Students
Mentoring
Dealing With Problems 9
Converting Students To Permanent Appoitments 10
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introduction
Would you, as a manager or supervisor, like to gain an edge in finding
and hiring top quality candidates in a tight labor market? More
importantly, would you like an opportunity to be able to observe and
evaluate your potential employees before making a hiring commitment,
and without using your FTE ceiling? Would you like to recruit new
employees without the fear of wondering if you made the right choice?
This probably sounds too good to be true, but the Cooperative Education
Program (more commonly referred to as Co-op) will allow you to do all of
the above. The purpose of this Guide is to introduce you to Co-op and its
many benefits, as well as provide helpful information to those of you
who are innovative enough to try this excellent program to meet some of
your workforce needs.
Be Bold and Gain the Competitive Edge by using a hiring method which has
a proven success rate! Hire a Co-op student and begin your investment
toward a vibrant, well-trained workforce to help enhance the Agency's
future.
In PPA'c
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What Is Co-op?
Co-op is a program that provides on-the-job training to students at the
high school through graduate levels in occupations related to their fields
of study. Students may work either on an alternating (a semester on—a
semester off) or part-time basis.
Co-op students get an opportunity to apply what they have learned in
classroom theory to a real job experience. A partnership is formed
between the Agency, the student and the school, through a working
agreement.
Through Co-op, EPA can attract some of the nation's most intelligent,
creative and motivated students and help them become the
environmental leaders of tomorrow.
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Benefits Of Co-op
Although the Co-op program has been primarily used to hire students in
administrative, engineering and scientific fields, it can be equally as
effective in clerical and other support positions for high school and
associate degree students. Some of the many benefits that Co-op can offer
you and the Agency are:
+ Maximizes your ability to hire "the best and the brightest" performers
through your observation and evaluation of potential employees prior to
making a decision to hire them permanently.
^ Provides you the flexibility to recruit and select from a broad spectrum
of students from any career field and at all levels of study.
+ Streamlined and flexible hiring procedures which will allow you to
offer a permanent position to students immediately after graduation,
based on their proven performance.
+ Is an excellent source for attracting talented minority, female and
disabled candidates.
+ Generates a higher retention rate because students who have already
worked in the Agency are more likely to commit to permanent positions.
^ Provides gratification to you in knowing that you are making a
contribution to the educational process and to America's future.
+ Builds stronger ties between the Agency and the educational
community which helps to improve the Agency's overall recruitment
posture.
•^ Provides a pool of pre-screened, eager, entry-level employees who can
free up your current staff for more challenging assignments.
^ Improves your ability to delegate job responsibilities to individuals
with the proper talents, thus increasing the overall efficiency of your
organization.
+ Brings new perspectives and viewpoints to the Agency as the students
integrate new techniques learned in the classroom with what they find on
the job.
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Hiring Co-op Students
Co-op Coordinator Responsibilities
It is relatively easy to hire Co-op students. Your servicing HRO has
designated a Co-op Coordinator to work with various educational
institutions to find students that will meet your needs. In addition, the
Co-op Coordinator will:
+ Ensure that students referred to you meet the criteria/requirements for
the Co-op Program;
+ Ensure that there is a signed working agreement between the
educational institution and EPA; and
+ Keep you informed on the program's requirements and operation.
Your Responsibilty in the Hiring Process
While your local Co-op Coordinator will have the primary responsibility
for working with school officials to refer the right students, you play a
key role in creating a positive working environment and setting the stage
for the student's arrival at the workplace.
Careful planning is a must if you are to provide a positive and
challenging experience for your student. First, you should examine your
organization and determine where Co-op students can be best utilized.
Develop proposed projects and draft a list of assignments that would be
challenging and interesting. Next, contact your local Co-op Coordinator
and inform him/her of the type(s) of students you would be interested in
hiring. Your Co-op Coordinator will advise you on required paperwork
and next steps.
The Co-op Coordinator will help you search for students whose career
fields match your needs. High school students can be used in clerical and
administrative positions, while college Co-op students typically require
work that is related to specific courses of study. All students that are
referred to you for consideration will have at least a 2.5 or higher grade
point average (GPA). If you would like to consider students with higher
GPA's, you may inform your local Co-op Coordinator. But remember,
you may not always be able to attract students with the highest GPA's.
Therefore, be willing to try students with lower GPA's whose records
exhibit a high degree of potential for success. Do not automatically weed
out these students they can become excellent employees. Also,
remember that the Co-op students will not count against your FTE
personnel ceiling.
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When you have selected a Co-op student to meet your needs, notify your
staff and assign a senior specialist to work with and train the student.
This individual should have an interest in and empathy for developing
people and should be able to build the student's confidence. Work with
your Co-op Coordinator to ensure all administrative processes have been
completed to bring the student on-board and to establish a reporting
date. Then wait for your Co-op student to arrive.
Setting Work Schedules
Students may work up to a maximum of 2600 work hours within a 2-year
period. They may work on a full-time alternating schedule (i.e. working
at EPA a semester or quarter and attending school a semester or quarter)
or on a part-time basis (i.e. working between 16 and 32 hours per week
while attending school). Since the student cannot exceed the maximum of
2600 hours within a 2-year period, the number of hours the student
works should be closely monitored. The determination as to whether the
student will work on an alternating or part-time schedule should be made
early in the negotiation process to allow appropriate time for the student
to make any necessary arrangements, e.g., housing, transportation. Work
with your Co-op Coordinator to establish a work schedule which will be
mutually acceptable to you and the student.
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Successful Performance On The Job
Evaluating Performance
Co-op students will be appraised in accordance with EPA's performance
appraisal system for GS employees. However, evaluation of the student's
progress should be an ongoing process. Schedule periodic (bi-weekly or
monthly) reviews with the student to provide continuous feedback and
reinforcement on his/her progress. At no time should the student's
performance fall below fully successful. The performance evaluation may
be used as a basis to make determinations on retaining the student,
strengthening performance, correcting deficiencies, or recommending
conversion to a permanent position.
Many of the academic institutions require written evaluations of the
students' performance at the conclusion of the assignment. When these
forms are received, fill them out immediately because the student's
academic grade for the Co-op Program is often based on these
evaluations.
Promoting and Recognizing Students
Promotion to higher grade levels in the program is contingent upon the
student meeting the qualification standards and satisfactory work
performance. Delayed promotions may decrease motivation and threaten
the positive relationship between the academic institution and EPA.
Therefore, promotions should be given in a timely and equitable manner.
You may also recognize deserving students for their performance,
contributions and accomplishments through the Agency's formal award
system or through other informal awards given out in your organization.
Mentoring
To help the student make a smooth transition to the work place, you may
want to take on the role of being a mentor, or assign the role to a senior
staff person. As mentor, you could serve as the communications link for
any concerns or problems the student may have; discuss career
opportunities, career preparation and career paths; assist the student in
building a professional network; and involve the student in as many
appropriate activities as reasonable.
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Dealing With Problems
The student's first year of employment usually determines whether
he/she will be successful on the job. During this period, work
assignments should be closely monitored. In addition, you should make
every effort to overcome any difficulties that may arise. Your special
attention to any problem situation will help the student meet the
demands of the job.
While most Co-op assignments will be extremely successful for you and
the student, problems may arise at some point. If the student is not
meeting your expectations or fails to meet performance or conduct
standards, offer specific and timely advice for correction. Advise the
student of areas needing improvement. Attempt to handle the situation
as you would any other employee. Sometimes a meeting between you,
the student, the Co-op Coordinator and a school official can solve the
problem—especially if the student is getting academic credit and might
fail if the work assignment is not completed. If the problem persists, do
not hesitate to contact your local Co-op Coordinator, who will work with
school officials to recommend the appropriate action for you to take.
Students may be terminated from the program if their performance or
conduct fails to improve and they have less than 1 year of current
continuous employment in the same or similar positions. These students
may not be reassigned to other positions under such conditions.
However, students who have been on the Agency's roll for one year or
more, are veterans with at least a year of service, or previously worked in
the Federal Service are afforded all the legal rights and protection
afforded to a permanent employee.
Students who discontinue their education or are disqualified from
continuing in the Co-op Program must be terminated.
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Converting Students To Permanent Appointments
Students are eligible for noncompetitive conversion to a career or
career-conditional appointment anytime during the 120-calendar day
period following completion of their educational and Co-op Program
requirements. Students must complete a minimum number of work hours
under the Co-op Program before they can be converted to permanent
appointments (i.e., 1040 hours for baccalaureate and associate degree
students and 640 hours for all others).
You should communicate your intent to convert the student as early as
possible to ensure that he/she has a basis upon which to make a career
decision during critical periods of graduate placement/recruiting cycles at
the academic institution. To accomplish this, you must forward a written
statement of your intent to convert the student to your servicing HRO or
local Co-op Coordinator at the beginning of the last work assignment
prior to the student's graduation, or the first semester of the student's
senior year, whichever is earliest.
Since the Co-op Program is designed to provide a source of well-trained
employees for entry-level career positions, every effort should be made to
convert students into permanent positions in the same occupations for
which they were trained. If students are not eligible for noncompetitive
conversion, they should be advised of procedures for competitive
appointment or terminated from the program.
HI.
A f*n.
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