Michigan Council for Internships & Cooperative Education : General Information

Michigan Council For Internship & Cooperative Education.

An Overview

Cooperative education is an academic/business strategy that combines on-campus study with practical, paid work experience. Students in cooperative education programs alternate between periods of study in school and periods of employment in business, government and non-profit organizations. Both types of learning experiences are planned and supervised to contribute to students' education and employability.

Formal cooperative education began at the University of Cincinnati in the early 1900's when 27 engineering students were placed in a training program which alternated one week of practical work experience with one week of instruction at the school. The program developed so well that the entire school of engineering shifted to the cooperative plan in 1920. The first secondary cooperative education program was established in 1909 at Fitchburg, Massachusetts, in cooperation with the General Electric Company.

Based on the success of the Cincinnati venture, other schools and colleges started programs of their own. The University of Detroit (1911) and General Motors Institute (1925) were the first colleges in Michigan to adopt the cooperative plan.

Today over 1,000 private and public colleges and universities offer programs nationwide at undergraduate and graduate levels. Cooperative education, once exclusive to engineering students, is now available in all college and university disciplines, including the liberal arts.

In Michigan, a large number of individuals, educational institutions and employers are involved. Approximately 15,000 high school students are involved in vocational and cooperative programs with over 6,000 employers. In addition approximately 7,500 students are enrolled in cooperative programs at the college level with over 1,000 employers.